An expressway project linking the southern province of Dong Nai and the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, may cost over VND64 trillion (US$3 billion) for construction, according to the head of Lam Dong Province’s Department of Transport.

The 200-kilometer project will be joined with the existing Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway, said Truong Huu Hiep, director of the department, at a press conference on Wednesday.

Accordingly, the project will have four lanes with a width of 25.5 meters. The first stage of the new expressway project will cost around VND32 trillion.

After calculation of the efficiency of the project, the Ministry of Transport has assigned the project into two phases and given the green light for the first phase.

The first phrase is expected to begin in 2015 and will be completed in 2018. Activities calling for investments for the project has been conducted.

This project is solving the traffic load on National Highway 20, the main road linking the southern region and the Central Highlands.

According to calculations of Lam Dong Department of Transport, National Highway 20 will overload in 2020 when traffic flow increased to 30,000 trips per day. The current flow is at around 20,000 trips per day.

The first 20-kilometer section of HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway was officially opened to traffic on late August this year after 5 years under construction.

HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, which is 55 kilometers long, has a first-phase investment of VND20.63 trillion sourced from ODA loans and Vietnam’s reciprocal capital.

The expressway section helps shortening the driving time between HCMC and Vung Tau City from 2.5 hours to 1.2 hours at best, and reducing congestion at Vung Tau intersection.