HCMC repeats request for military land to widen airport access

In a letter recently sent to the Ministry of National Defense, the city said once again it needs 11.8 hectares of land managed by the ministry so it could build a road linking Tran Quoc Hoan Street with Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District.

Part of that plot would be used to resettle 33 families, mostly those of soldiers, that would be affected by the new road.

This marks the third time it has sought permission to use the plot after its first and second attempts last year.

As planned, the new road would run 4.4 kilometers parallel to the existing Cong Hoa Street, ranging in width from 29.5 to 48 meters, and have two tunnels.

The project is expected to cost VND4.8 trillion ($206.5 million), including more than VND1.73 trillion for construction and the rest for compensating and relocating affected households, as well as operational costs .

It was first proposed by the city transport department in 2016 to ease congestion on Truong Son Street, currently the only road leading to the airport.

Last November, the ministry had agreed in principle to transfer the land to HCMC but until now, no developments have been made.

Now, the city wants to boost progress so it could build the road prior to putting its third terminal into use. Work is set to begin on this terminal in October this year and be completed in 2023.

Once complete, the terminal would raise the airport’s capacity from 30 million passengers a year to 50-55 million.

Tan Son Nhat airport has been serving 36 million passengers a year since 2017, well above its capacity.