HCMC – HCMC will ban vehicles from commuting on the Saigon River Tunnel, which links District 1 with Thu Duc City from 11 p.m. on December 19 to 4 a.m. on December 20 for a construction audit and maintenance.
The Center for Urban Transport Management of HCMC said the ban aims to ensure safety during the construction audit and maintenance process.
During this time, people traveling from Thu Duc City to District 1 can commute on the route Mai Chi Tho – Nguyen Co Thach – Thu Thiem Bridge – Nguyen Huu Canh – Ton Duc Thang – Vo Van Kiet or the route Mai Chi Tho – Nguyen Co Thach – Thu Thiem Bridge – Nguyen Huu Canh – Ton Duc Thang – Le Duan – Nam Ky Khoi Nghia – Vo Van Kiet.
People travelling from District 1 to Thu Duc City can commute on the route Vo Van Kiet – Ky Con – Tran Hung Dao – Nguyen Thai Hoc – Nguyen Thi Nghia – Ly Tu Trong – Hai Ba Trung – Le Duan – Nguyen Binh Khiem – Nguyen Huu Canh – Thu Thiem Bridge – Nguyen Co Thach – Mai Chi Tho or the route Vo Van Kiet – Calmette Bridge – Doan Van Bo – Hoang Dieu – Nguyen Tat Thanh – Ton Duc Thang – Nguyen Huu Canh – Thu Thiem Bridge – Nguyen Co Thach – Mai Chi Tho.
The HCMC Department of Transport has requested the related agencies to increase inspection and management on the routes to ensure convenient travel for citizens during this time.
The Saigon River Tunnel is about 1.5 kilometers long, 33 meters wide and nine meters high, running beneath the Saigon River.
The tunnel was built with capital from the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s official development assistance, in conjunction with a consortium of Japanese contractors. Opened to traffic in 2011, the tunnel is the most important component of HCMC’s East-West Highway project.
The tunnel has six lanes with a maximum permissible speed at 60 kilometers an hour. Some 55,000 cars and 300,000 motorbikes commute through the tunnel everyday.
