$538mn expressway open to traffic in southern Vietnam after 13 years of construction
Thursday, January 20, 2022, 18:10 GMT+7
The US$538 million Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway was open to traffic on Wednesday after 13 years of constrruction, which will help shorten the time to travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta provinces.
The expressway's inauguration followed a ceremony in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on Wednesday.
At the event, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed the efforts of Tien Giang authorities, Deo Ca Group, relevant agencies in overcoming difficulties, especially in relocating more than 3,200 households, to complete the project.
Although the project is expected to be officially finished in March, it was open to traffic early to meet travel demand during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, about two weeks away.
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| State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the ceremony in Tien Giang Province, Vietnam, January 19, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Automobiles will be allowed to travel on the expressway in the direction from Trung Luong to My Thuan from January 25 to January 31, and in the opposite direction from February 1 to February 15, according to VnExpress.
Stretching 51 kilometers, the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway is part of the country’ North-South Expressway network and is considered a key route linking the Mekong Delta region with Ho Chi Minh City and the southern key economic region.
It starts from the intersection with the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway in Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang and ends at the junction with National Highway No. 30 in Cai Be District, Tien Giang.
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| A section of the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway in Tien Giang Province, Vietnam, January 19, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Together with the My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway, which is under construction, the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway will shorten the time to travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho City in the delta by about one to two hours.
Costing more than VND12.2 trillion (US$538 million), the construction of the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway began in 2009 and was originally expected to complete in 2013.
However, the project was repeatedly delayed and had to change its developer twice during the first ten years of implementation.
The Tien Giang People’s Committee was eventually put in charge of managing the project, while Deo Ca Group was selected as the contractor in March 2019.
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