A consortium, comprising HFIC (Ho Chi Minh City Financial Investment Company) and CII (Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company), has submitted a proposal to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to upgrade 5 existing intersections. These include the An Phu U-turn, Cat Lai T-junction, Tay Hoa interchange, Thu Duc intersection, and the area in front of the Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park.
These intersections currently rely on traffic lights, forcing vehicles to stop and wait, which frequently causes congestion during peak hours. The proposal aims to upgrade all of them to grade-separated interchanges, enabling continuous traffic flow on the main thoroughfare. This would include 6 central lanes with a design speed of 80 km/h, eliminating the need for vehicles to stop at red lights.
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A section of Hanoi Highway through the former Thu Duc City, now renamed Vo Nguyen Giap Street. *Photo: Quynh Tran*
Specifically, two locations are slated for underpasses: the An Phu U-turn area and the Tay Hoa interchange. The other three points will feature overpasses combined with ramps.
The project carries a preliminary total investment of nearly 3,500 billion dong and will be implemented under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Investors will be responsible for securing their own capital, meaning no state budget funds will be used, and no land acquisition will be required.
Following receipt of the proposal and recommendations from various departments, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved the consortium to conduct research and prepare a feasibility report for submission to relevant authorities. The city emphasized that this approval for study does not constitute investor designation; the project's implementing unit will be selected through a competitive process in accordance with regulations.
The Hanoi Highway – National Highway 1 axis, spanning from Saigon Bridge to Dong Nai Bridge, serves as a vital artery for Ho Chi Minh City's eastern gateway. It experiences high daily traffic volumes, particularly from container trucks. While this route is undergoing expansion as part of a BOT project, certain sections passing through the former Binh Duong area remain unfinished, leading to persistent traffic pressure at its interchanges.
Giang Anh
