Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport, authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, and three provinces have agreed on measures to speed up an essential ring road project.

Designed to connect Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An Provinces, ring road No. 3 is considered a significant traffic infrastructure in the southern metropolis and the region in general.

The project was first approved in 2011 and its plan was later adjusted in 2013. Only one small part of the construction has been complete so far.

Consulting units believed that Ho Chi Minh City still lacks ring roads, while the travel demand of local residents has remained high over the past years, posing high risks of traffic jams.

The completion of the project will shorten journeys between the southern city and nearby localities, thus contributing to local socio-economic development.

The central government has recently suggested that the project be expedited.

Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen said the municipal administration is willing to spend the city’s budget on site clearance and compensation in order to continue the construction.

According to Tran Van Thi, general director of Cuu Long Corporation, developer of the project, the site clearance process is expected to be carried out in 2019 and 2020, costing approximately VND5.6 trillion (US$240 million).

Ho Chi Minh City will need to spend VND2.9 trillion ($124.3 million), Thi continued, adding that the central government will aid Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai.

“During the site clearance process, we will finish procedures to receive $6 million non-refundable aid from the Australian government to complete the design of the road,” he elaborated.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has also pledged financial assistance worth $342 million for the project, Thi added.

Efficiency

Ring road No. 3 stretches a total of 97.7 kilometers and is divided into four sections.

Among them, the second section, which runs from Tan Van Ward in Dong Nai to My Phuoc Ward in Binh Duong, has already been built and operated.

In a report that was submitted to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the Ho Chi Minh City transport department, has highlighted the significant roles and efficiency of the ring road and each of its sections.

The first section, connecting Nhon Trach District in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City, will help relieve pressure from Mai Chi Tho Street, Hanoi Highway, and areas near the Cat Lai Seaport in Ho Chi Minh City, Cuong elaborated.

Along with the second section, it will improve the overall effectiveness of the project.

The third and fourth sections, linking Ho Chi Minh City with Binh Duong and Long An, respectively, will help connect the areas with other provinces in the Mekong Delta, Cuong stated.