Vietnam begins construction of final section of Saigon-Mekong Delta expressway
Monday, January 04, 2021, 17:53 GMT+7
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has initiated the construction of the My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway, the final section of a massive highway connecting Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.
The groundbreaking of the project was organized in Binh Minh Town, Vinh Long Province on Monday morning, with the attendance of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway stretches 22.97 kilometers, including 12.52 kilometers in Vinh Long Province and 10.45 kilometers in Dong Thap Province.
The route starts in Tan Hoa Ward, Vinh Long City, Vinh Long Province and ends at the intersection of Cha Va Bridge in Thuan An Commune, Binh Minh Town in the same province.
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the groundbreaking of My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam on January 4, 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre |
The project costs more than VND4.8 trillion (US$207.9 million).
As of early January, site clearance had been complete along 18 out of nearly 22 kilometers of the expressway.
The developer is the Ministry of Transport, while Cuu Long Corporation for Investment Development and Project Management of Infrastructure (Cuu Long CIPM) was appointed as the project manager.
The construction is expected to complete in late 2022, and the first phase of operation will begin in 2023.
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| Excavators are pictured at the groundbreaking of My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam on January 4, 2021. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre |
During the first phase of operation, the expressway will be 17 meters wide and have four lanes, while the velocity is 80km per hour.
During the second phase, it will be 32.25 meters wide and consist of six lanes, while the speed limit is 120km per hour.
The My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway is part of the 120km long Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong- My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway, which consists of three major sections.
The first section, Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong, which links the southern metropolis with Tien Giang Province, was completed and put into operation in 2010.
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| A map detailing the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong- My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
The second part, Trung Luong-My Thuan, is expected to be finished within 2021.
The route also includes the My Thuan 2 Bridge project, which connects Tien Giang and Vinh Long Provinces and is expected to be finished in 2023.
Upon completion, the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong- My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway and My Thuan 2 Bridge will help shorten the journey between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta hub of Can Tho from three-four hours to only two hours, said Tran Van Thi, general director of Cuu Long CIPM.
The traffic project is also aimed at boosting socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta, Thi added.
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