The Ministry of Transport has recommended the Hanoi People’s Committee to study the construction of an overpass on the Giang Vo and Lang Ha roads.

Overpasses are a useful way to ease traffic jams in Hanoi

The overpass will be built at the junction between Giang Vo and De La Thanh, while two more are under consideration by the city for the junctions at Huynh Thuc Khang and Thai Ha and Lang Ha and Le Van Luong.

According to the ministry, the three overpasses would significantly ease traffic congestion on Cat Linh, Giang Vo, Huynh Thuc Khang, Le Van Luong and Belt Road No. 3.

Director of the Hanoi Transport Department Nguyen Quoc Hung cited calculations made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that the overpasses would help to save at least VND200 billion (USD9.56 million) in fuel consumption annually.

Hung added that in the first nine months of the year, Hanoi had over 41,000 newly-registered cars, raising the city’s total registered vehicles to nearly 400,000, accounting for 22% of the country’s total. The city also now has around four million motorbikes.

A preliminary report from the Hanoi Transport Department showed that traffic jams at peak hours had caused losses of around VND26.9 billion (USD1.28 million) for Hanoi per day.