VnExpress International VnExpress International
The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Vietnamese Edition
| Contact us | Follow us on       
News Politics Education Environment Traffic Crime Brainteaser
reddit Share via X Print

Five years on, Saigon road expansion remains in a hole

By Quynh Tran   September 21, 2019 | 09:14 pm PT
The VND800 billion ($34 million) road expansion project on Luong Dinh Cua Street in Saigon's District 2 is nowhere near completion after 5 years of work.
The surface of Luong Dinh Cua Street strewns with construction materials and machineries.The Urban Transport Management Area 2 started upgrading and expanding the street in April 2015. The project is expected to be completed after two years.

The surface of Luong Dinh Cua Street is strewn with construction materials and machinery.

The Urban Transport Management Area 2 started upgrading and expanding the street in April 2015. The project was expected to be completed in two years.
The project aims to winden 30m to the 2.4km street, spanding from Tran Nao Street to Mai Chi Tho Street, to accomodate six lanes.

It aims to widen the 2.4km long street by 30m and have it accommodate six lanes.

The project is expected to meet increased traffic as the Thu Thiem New Urban Area takes shape in the eastern part of the city. The expanded road is expected to increase connectivity by linking up with the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway (Districts 2, 9 and Thu Duc).
Sections of the road drainage sewer has poor barrier and become deep holes filled with water when raining.

Sections of the road's drainage sewer has poor barriers and become deep holes filled with water after a downpour.
Only a small section of the road surface is reserved as a pathway while the rest is covered with barriers for construction units.

After five years, only a small section of the road surface is reserved as a pathway, while the rest is cut off by barriers.
Many sewers along the street are filled with dirt and garbage. Quyet, a resident of the street, said: Since the road was dug up, it has become dusty during sunny season and muddy during raining season, the muddy rainwater became a trap for the people on the road, 

Many sewers along the street are filled with dirt and garbage. 

Quyet, a resident of the street, said: "Since the road was dug up, it becomes very dusty during sunny season, muddy during rainy season and a trap for local residents."
Potholes at the intersection of Luong Dinh Cua and Tran Nao streets 

Large potholes at the intersection of Luong Dinh Cua and Tran Nao streets.
Since the drainage system is not synchronized, the road heading to Thu Thiem Bridge is often flooded after a heavy downpour.According to the locals, it takes two to three days for the water to recede.

The road heading to Thu Thiem Bridge is flooded after every heavy downpour.

Locals say that it takes two to three days after the rain stops for flood waters to recede.
Flood water in front of a convenience store. Businesses on both sides of the road worry about slow business due to the unfinished construction road.

Water stagnates in front of a convenience store.

Shops on both sides of the road are upset about slow business as the expansion work remains unfinished and the road lies in a very bad condition.
Workers make stones for the sidewalk. Doan Phu Duc, the projects investor and deputy director of the management board, said the project has only been completed more than 50 percent. The section 200m section near Hue Nghiem Pagoda is finished. The main cause of the projects slow progression is because 60 percent of the land has been cleared, making its difficult to bring machinery and equipment here. Workers are now only moderately constructing, only working on section of the site that has been cleared, he said.

Workers pave a part of the road’s sidewalk.

Doan Phu Duc, deputy director of the project management board, said they have only completed about 50 percent of the work. The 200m section near Hue Nghiem Pagoda is finished, he said.

"The main cause of the project's slow progress is that only 60 percent of the land has been cleared, making it difficult to bring machinery and equipment here. Work can only happen on the section of the site that has been cleared," 
At the intersection with Tran Nao street, many houses have not been cleared because compensation settlement for relocation have not been reached with local residents. According to Duc, the project is expected to be completed in 2020.

At the intersection with Tran Nao Street, many houses have not been cleared because authorities have not been able to come to an agreement on compensation for residents who have to relocate.

However, Duc said that the project is expected to be completed next year.
 
 
go to top