Over the past three months, many homes along national route 13 in Hiep Binh ward have been continuously demolished to clear land for the national route 13 expansion project.

The 6,3 km project, extending from Binh Trieu bridge to Vinh Binh, will expand the road from 4-6 lanes to 10 lanes, making it 60 m wide. This infrastructure project, with a total investment of nearly 21.000 ty dong, is being implemented under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

The plan to expand this frequently congested arterial road was proposed in 2001 but has faced numerous delays. While the Binh Duong side is currently expanding its section, the route into central TP HCM remains narrow, with many "bottlenecks" causing traffic jams.

For the past week, about 5 workers, aided by machinery and cranes, have been dismantling the 4 m high residential welcome gate to clear the land for the project.

By the end of may, the HCMC Management Board of Investment and Construction of Traffic Projects reported that compensation had been paid for 655 of 1.041 cases, a 62,9% completion rate. Approximately 55 property owners have already handed over their land.

Many rows of houses along national route 13 have been fully cleared by homeowners, set back 6-10 m, creating a more open space. According to the HCMC Management Board of Investment and Construction of Traffic Projects, the project requires land recovery from 1.041 cases, with over 200 households needing full clearance. The city budget is expected to allocate 14.600 ty dong for compensation, support, and resettlement for the project.

200 m away, many households have also hired demolition teams, mobilizing cranes to tear down walls and clear debris. One current difficulty is that the available resettlement housing and land plots are insufficient to meet demand. Initially, TP HCM allocated 143 land plots and 31 resettlement apartments. However, actual implementation revealed approximately 350 cases, more than double the initial estimate.

Many other houses and workshops are also busy with demolition. Phan Tinh stated that his team specializes in dismantling and purchasing house remains. On average, his team takes nearly a week to clear the site of one house.

Nguyen Cong Hiep, 45 years old, stood by his renovated house after handing over part of the land. His house, originally 120 m2, had 80 m2 recovered, with compensation amounting to 11 ty dong. Having lived here for over 20 years, he regularly encountered congestion on this arterial road connecting the former Binh Duong province with TP HCM.

He stated that while the compensation was not as much as he desired, he still agreed to hand over the land. "I used to rent out office space, so now I've lost an income stream. I just hope the project starts soon for more convenient travel," he said.

One house, after its front section was cleared, has a remaining area of over 10 m2. Triangular with a narrow width, it is currently being rebuilt by the homeowner to stabilize their life.

Along national route 13, many houses have been dismantled, leaving behind piles of scrap, waste, and debris. Many owners have already moved out, awaiting full clearance.

According to the plan, compensation payments and relocation support are scheduled for completion by july. The project was initially set to commence by the end of this year and be completed two years later. However, the Department of Construction recently proposed delaying the groundbreaking until early next year due to unforeseen resettlement issues and the need to adjust the route to align with regional railway and infrastructure projects.

The section of national route 13 from Binh Trieu bridge to Vinh Binh bridge is currently 20-30 m wide, frequently congested during peak hours, and prone to flooding during rain and high tides. In addition to widening the road surface, approximately 3,2 km in the middle of the route will feature an elevated road (viaduct) with four lanes, flanked by parallel roads.

The section starting from Binh Trieu bridge to the area near the Vinh Phu welcome gate. *Graphics: Khanh Hoang*

National route 13 spans over 140 km, connecting TP HCM with Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc provinces. It serves as a major transportation artery at the city's northeast gateway, frequently experiencing congestion due to passing through densely populated residential areas and connecting to the former Mien Dong bus station. In addition to this route, TP HCM is also advancing three BOT projects to upgrade national route 1, national route 22, and the North-South axis.

Quynh Tran