After four months of construction, two more flyovers have been put into operation in Ho Chi Minh City, helping to ease congestion, especially during rush hour.

The city Transport Department yesterday inaugurated two steel flyovers, one at the intersection of Ba Thang Hai, Ly Thai To, Nguyen Tri Phuong and Thanh Thai streets in District 10, and the other at the crossroads of Cong Hoa and Hoang Hoa Tham Streets in Tan Binh District.

The two overhead bridges were completed after four months of construction, a month ahead of schedule, at a total cost of VND565.4 billion (US$26.7 million), the department said.

Each of the flyovers is 9.5 meter wide and has two lanes for vehicles, including motorbikes, cars, buses and trucks with a load of under 10 tons, to travel at a regulated speed of 50 kmh. 

Pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, tricycles and trucks over 10 tons are banned from using the flyovers.

At the inauguration ceremony,  Le Quyet Thang, director of the Urban Traffic Management Zone No. 1, said that the flyovers will help reduce the overloaded traffic volume on some main axes in the city, including the route leading to Tan Son Nhat international airport. 

Before these two flyovers were opened, the city had previously completed two others, which were put into operation on January 27, 2013 at the Hang Xanh Roundabout in Binh Thanh District and the Thu Duc Crossroads that links Thu Duc District and District 9. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, said the two new facilities will contribute to reducing traffic jams in the city.

He also urged the department to step up the construction of another flyover at the Cay Go Roundabout in District 11 to be put into use this year.

The authorities also asked contractors to accelerate the construction of the beltway east of the city, Provincial Road 10 in Binh Tan District, and Provincial Road 10B in Binh Tan and Binh Chanh Districts, Tin said.