Slow site clearance delays key bridge between downtown HCM City- Thủ Thiêm

HCM CITY — People living in Thủ Thiêm in HCM City’s District 2 have to brave severe traffic congestion when travelling to District 1 since the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel is overloaded and construction of Thủ Thiêm Bridge Nos 2, 3 and 4 has been progressing at a snail’s pace.

Construction of Thủ Thiêm Bridge No 2 began in February 2015 as a build-transfer project at a cost of nearly VNĐ4.3 trillion (US$190 million).

The 1.47km, six-lane bridge was scheduled to open to traffic on April 30 this year.

But only 16 per cent of the work has been completed so far, and its completion has been deferred to 2020.

Nguyễn Văn Tám, deputy director of the city Department of Transport, said tardy land acquisition and clearance is the reason for the sluggish progress.

“The Department of Transport has asked the People’s Committee to instruct relevant agencies and departments to speed up site clearance and relocation of households, and transfer the land to the builder.”

Thủ Thiêm Bridges No 3 and 4, to be built on PPP (public-private partnership) basis, remain on paper.

Dr Phạm Sanh, an urban transport planning expert, said building bridges to connect Districts 1 and 2 is a good idea.

But to resolve the traffic problems and avoid waste, these bridges must be linked with infrastructure in the area, he said.

In October the department had petitioned the People’s Committee to speed up handover of land for building the bridge to Đại Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Company.

The cable-stayed bridge will have a 113m tower and be the architectural highlight of the Sài Gòn River.

The four-lane main branch will be 437m and rise from the Tôn Đức Thắng – Lê Duẩn intersection in District 1. The 195m second branch will have two lanes for vehicles going from District 1 to District 2.

Vehicles can come from District 2 and turn left into Lê Thánh Tôn Street, turn right into Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh or turn back to go to Mê Linh Square. — VNS