Overpass near HCMC airport a traffic accident 'black spot'

The overpass in Tan Binh District has been requested by the HCMC traffic police division to be added to the list of areas to be monitored by the Department of Transport in 2024.

Last year, four traffic accidents at the site resulted in three deaths and one injured person due to alcohol violations and lack of observation from drivers.

A traffic accident black spot is classified as a place where there have either been two deadly accidents a year; or three accidents with one deadly; or four accidents with injured people.

To reduce the number of accidents, authorities have proposed to install warning signs and reflective surfaces on the overpass.

The traffic police division also proposed to reduce the brightness of LED lights and billboards on the overpass, as well as not showing video clips on these billboards to keep people focused on the road.

The Hoang Hoa Tham overpass was opened to traffic in 2013. Located at an intersection between Cong Hoa and Hoang Hoa Tham streets, the overpass runs 268 m long and 9.5 m wide, with two lanes.

It is one among nine steel overpasses located at important intersections, with the goal of alleviating traffic jams near the country's largest airport. However, over the past several years, the area has frequently been overloaded.

Cong Hoa street is among the areas with the highest levels of traffic burden in HCMC, with the amount of traffic exceeding 150% of its designed capacity, according to the transport department.

A single issue on the road can cause long-lasting congestion.

HCMC observed 1,729 cases of traffic accidents on land last year, resulting in 661 deaths and 1,049 injured people, according to the traffic police division. The southern metropolis currently has nine traffic accident black spots.