Hanoi Highway

Hà Nội Highway or Hanoi Highway, formerly called Bien Hoa Highway, is the road linking Ho Chi Minh City and Biên Hòa.

History

The Hanoi Highway, formerly known as Biên Hòa Highway (or Saigon–Biên Hòa Highway), started as Phan Thanh Giản Bridge (now is Điện Biên Phủ Bridge) crosses Nhieu Loc–Thi Nghe Channel to Chợ Sặt intersection, was constructed between July 1957 and April 1961. The road was funded by American economic aid as a part of a massive nation building effort conducted over the course of the Vietnam War. The highway originally was nearly 32 kilometers long and 21 meters wide, spanning between the 4-way Hàng Xanh intersection and the intersection of Highway 1A 3 Gorges. At the time of its inauguration by President Ngo Dinh Diem, each direction had two lanes, and the highway had two major bridges: the Newport Bridge (the former name of Saigon Bridge; 982 m long) across the Saigon River and Đồng Nai Bridge (453 m long) across the Đồng Nai River, six intermediate bridges, drainage systems, and erosion and traffic controls. The highway was surfaced with asphalt, a relatively modern innovation.

Though the highway was constructed under the pretenses of economic development, there was suspicion that the highway had been built with the intent of military use. However, many countered that the presence of the highway would encourage local residents to build communities and open businesses along the roadside, a narrative that the United States happily adopted. All in all, paid for under the pretenses of non-military economic development, the road cost more than that which was spent on "labor, community development, social welfare, health, housing, and education combined for the period 1954-1961."

In 1971, improvements were made to accommodate for civilian use. The route was designed to prevent two-way travel.

In 1984 the highway from was renamed Hanoi Highway on the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Hanoi. Another name of this route for the National Route system of Vietnam is National Route 52, commonly used to refer to the stretch from the Saigon Bridge to the intersection with Highway 1A in Thu Duc junction (junction of Station 2, next to Saigon Hi-Tech Park). Currently on Hanoi Highway 1A, it includes a highway crossing, starting from junction to junction Thu Duc, Ho Nai aka fork for Sat Sat Bien Hoa city is located near the junction, the Chợ Sặt 3-way intersection near April 30 park, (intersection with Highway 1K, beyond the intersection of the Tam Hiệp).

Areas that the Hanoi highway passes through include, Thủ Đức city of Ho Chi Minh City and Dĩ An City of Bình Dương province, Biên Hòa City of Đồng Nai province.

With the economic situation in Ho Chi Minh City and the region growing, Hanoi Highway has become overcrowded in recent years, so Hanoi Highway will be extended up to 140 m. This project is planned to be initiated in 2009 with a project to expand Highway 51. According to the project, the construction period is 2 years initially.

HCMC Metro Line 1

The HCMC Metro Line 1 has a stretch runs along the Hanoi Highway in Thủ Đức, from the Saigon Bridge to the New Eastern Bus Terminus (borders of Dĩ An, Bình Dương and Thủ Đức, Ho Chi Minh City), then turn right to Long Bình Depot. Furthermore, both provinces of Bình Dương and Đồng Nai will extend the line along the rest of the highway.

List of stations of Line 1 on Hanoi Highway: Tân Cảng (next to Saigon Bridge in Bình Thạnh), Thảo Điền, An Phú, Rạch Chiếc, Phước Long, Bình Thái, Thủ Đức, High Tech Park, National University, Suối Tiên Terminal

Further reading

"New Far-Highway Saigon - Bien-Air". World Freedom. Volume X Number 2. Saigon: United States Information Agency, 1961.