Building roads along the Saigon River: Key project with potential for development

Binh Duong Provincial People's Committee is developing an investment plan for a road along the Saigon River passing through four localities, including Thuan An City, Thu Dau Mot City, Ben Cat City and Dau Tieng district. The Saigon Riverside road is one of the key transportation projects in the province.

The road along the Saigon River through Thu Dau Mot City, once being completed and put into use, helps improve the riverbank landscape, becomes an urban highlight.

 Urban upgrading and tourism exploitation

The route along the Saigon River through the province has its starting point at Vinh Binh canal in Vinh Phu ward, Thuan An city, and its ending point at Dau Tieng town, Dau Tieng district. The total length of the entire route is about 93.9km. Huynh Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of Provicial Department of Construction, said the route has important meaning in exploiting transportation, tourism, and urban development of the province.

The investment in the road along the Saigon River also contributes to preventing flooding due to high tides and floodgate opening of Dau Tieng reservoir, in accordance with climate change scenarios, preventing river bank erosion, and ensuring flood drainage requirements. In addition, to form a continuous water-land connection axis along the Saigon River, strengthening regional socio-economic connections, improving the riverbank landscape, beautifying and creating highlights for the urban area.

According to the Provincial Department of Construction, in order to invest in a road along the Saigon River that ensures approved planning projects, in the current situation it is necessary to mobilize socialized capital combined with public investment capital. Namely, for riverside road sections located in urban development areas, port projects will be executed by investors (including river embankments according to the general design model). For the remaining riverside road sections, use public investment capital (determine the general embankment structure model for the entire route for synchronization). During the implementation process, it is necessary to ensure investment time to synchronize, allocate capital effectively, and ensure consistency in route direction and basic cross-sectional size.

Accordingly, in the territory of Thuan An City, in the period until 2030, the riverside road from Gia Long street will be connected to Ba Lua canal on a scale according to approved planning funded by public investment capital, specifically according to a sectional plan. In the period after 2030, public investment capital will be used for the route from Vinh Binh canal to Gia Long road. Renovating the section from Binh Nham canal to Chau Van Tiep street and the section belonging to the Binh Nham tidal sluice project, with cross-section size of 32m, road bed 2x10m, median strip between 2m and sidewalk 2x5m according to investment plan for in tidal control culverts in Vinh Binh - Lai Thieu canal.

In the territory of Thu Dau Mot City, the Department of Construction proposed two options, of which the Provincial People's Committee proposed to choose option 1. Specifically, in the period up to 2030, to invest in connecting riverside road sections from Ba Lua canal to the boundary of Tan An urban development area, using socialization capital with cross-sectional scale according to detailed planning. In the period after 2030, invest in the line section from the boundary of Tan An urban development area to Ong Co bridge connecting with the riverside road in Ben Cat area, with a scale according to approved planning, 28m road width, of which 17m roadbed, 2x5m sidewalks on each side, 1m median strip, public investment capital.

In the territory of Ben Cat City, Dau Tieng District, the Department of Construction proposed by 2030, to invest in riverside road sections in port projects (An Tay, An Dien, Rach Bap, Phu Cuong Thinh , Ben Suc...), Iron Triangle Tunnel relic area and urban development areas. Cross-sectional scale of 28m (road bed 18m, sidewalk 5m x 2 sides) and 32m (road bed 22m, sidewalk 5m x 2 sides) according to approved planning, using socialization capital of investors. In some areas, there are secondary routes out of the project to ensure operational management for each project. In the period after 2030, to invest in the remaining route sections outside the port projects and urban development areas using public investment capital with a cross-section of 28m (18m roadbed, 5m sidewalks x 2 sides) and 32m (22m roadbed, 5m sidewalks x 2 sides) according to approved planning.

Synchronize and connect

To implement the investment project in the road, according to the Department of Construction, first of all, localities passed by by this riverside road need to make adjustments and approve general planning and subdivision planning before 2024. Localities announce planning and have solutions to protect land along riverside roads, avoid encroachment on construction of works within the road safety corridor and the safety corridor of bridges, sewers, waterway. At the same time, localities need to identify urban development areas to update their planning and publish a list of urban development areas in the province to call for investors.

For port projects within this riverside road, localities should consider executing the route according to approved urban planning or allocating estimated land funds outside the project area to invest in the route, without doing any work affecting port operations but still ensuring connection to the entire route.

According to the Department of Construction, for riverside road projects using state budget capital, localities need to complete the project preparation phase in the 2024-2025 period, completing the project implementation of phase 2026-2030 as a basis for inviting investors for the remaining sections of the project. For riverside road projects using investor capital, it is necessary to approve the investment policy, approve the project list, and select investors in 2024-2025. Investors carry out investment projects in 2026-2030 to ensure consistency in timing and synchronization across the entire route.

 Reported by Phuong Le - Translated by Ngoc Huynh