The HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway, which needs to be widened to reduce congestion. VNA/VNS Photo by Công Phong

HCM CITY — Lê Hòa Bình, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, has proposed that work be speeded up on key traffic projects that link the city with neighbouring provinces.

The proposal, submitted to the Ministry of Transport, refers specifically to several projects including the 58-km Bến Lức-Long Thành Expressway running through the city and the provinces of Long An and Đồng Nai; and expansion of the HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway.

The city has also proposed that a pre-feasibility study for the high-speed HCM City-Cần Thơ railway be speeded up.

The 140km-railway will enable people to travel between Cần Thơ and the city in just 45 minutes and reduce the cost of transporting goods from the Mekong Delta to ports in the city and in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province.

The high-speed railway project is expected to cost US$10 billion.

With regard to the HCM City-Mộc Bài Expressway, the Government has been requested to allocate VNĐ5.9 trillion ($258 million) for site clearance, compensation and resettlement work on the section that runs through the city.

The 53km-expressway has an estimated total capital investment of VNĐ15.9 trillion ($695.3 million). It is expected to begin construction in 2023 and be completed in 2026.

The total capital allocated under the city’s mid-term investment plan for the 2021-2025 period is VNĐ142 trillion ($6.23 billion), which is only 20 per cent of its actual need.

It is, therefore, proposing that the Government increase its capital allocation under the plan to ensure implementation of planned projects or remove some projects from the list. VNS