The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a financial package worth $1.1 billion for two major transportation projects to help unclog overcrowded roadways in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s southern economic hub. Of the sum, ADB will provide $540 million for a $1.4 billion project to build the metro route 2 while the rest comes as added fund for a $1.6 billion project to build an expressway to the south of the city. The 11.3-kilometer metro route 2 will start from Ben Thanh in center of HCM City, near the city’s largest market, and run through the Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Tham Luong Station. The metro route is expected to reduce travel time along the corridor by 20% from 2010, with traffic accidents expected to fall by 30%. The 57-kilometer expressway between Ben Luc and Long Thanh will further alleviate traffic in the center of HCM City, while facilitating the transport of goods between the major ports of Ho Chi Minh City. Once fully operational in 2017, the expressway is expected to cut east-west travel time by 80%, with a 10% reduction in traffic accident rates. “These projects will significantly ease traffic congestion, help lower traffic accidents, and reduce carbon emissions”, Director of ADB's Transport and Urban Transport Division for Southeast Asia James Lynch said. (ADB News Release 2010)
