The Mỹ Phước - Tân Vạn expressway in Bình Dương is being widened and upgrade. — Photo laodong.vn

HCM CITY – Bình Dương Province plans to complete a number of key transport infrastructure projects this year and start others to maintain its leading position in attracting foreign investment and act as a springboard for recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Nguyễn Anh Minh, the director of the province Department of Transport, said the development of transport infrastructure, especially linking other provinces and cities and seaports and airports, needed to be synchronised to promote economic development.

Bình Dương prioritised resources for key traffic projects, he said.

It was speeding up work to put the Bắc Tân Uyên - Phú Giáo - Đồng Phú Road into use this year. The 12.15km project costs over VNĐ965 billion (US$42 million) and connects Phú Giáo and Bắc Tân Uyên districts in Bình Dương with Đồng Phú District in Bình Phước Province.

"The road is designed with six lanes and a maximum speed of 80km per hour,” Minh said.

Bình Dương and Đồng Nai provinces started to build the Bạch Đằng 2 Bridge between them late last year at a cost of VNĐ980 billion ($42.6 million).

The 540m-long bridge across the Đồng Nai River will connect Tân Uyên Town in Bình Dương with Vĩnh Cửu District in Đồng Nai Province, and play an important role in the distribution of goods.

It is part of the growing transport system in the Southern Key Economic Region.

The region comprises HCM City and the provinces of Bình Dương, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Đồng Nai, Bình Phước, Tây Ninh, Long An, and Tiền Giang.

The province also plans to widen and upgrade Mỹ Phước - Tân Vạn expressway and provincial highways No 743, 747B and 746, which will improve connectivity with Đồng Nai Province and HCM City.

Upgrade of the Mỹ Phước - Tân Vạn expressway is a key project since it connects urban areas and industrial parks, and creates a freight corridor along the North - South backbone axis parallel to National Highway No 13, improving access to Cái Mép - Thị Vải Port in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province and Long Thành airport in Đồng Nai Province.

The widening of major roads such as National Highway No 13 and Mỹ Phước - Tân Vạn between industrial zones has eased transport to ports.

In recent years Bình Dương has invested large sums to improve road infrastructure to enhance connectivity with HCM City and nearby provinces, develop industrial zones and attract workers from around the country.

According to Bùi Minh Trí, head of its industrial zone administration, Bình Dương is among the hottest investment destinations in the country and is always looking to develop transport infrastructure to help move goods.

It plans to further improve transport connectivity by developing waterways and, in future, a rail link to HCM City and Đồng Nai Province. — VNS