A section of the trans-Việt Nam Hồ Chí Minh Expressway in Gia Lai Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Việt Hùng

MEKONG DELTA — The Ministry of Transport has submitted to the Prime Minister a pre-feasibility study report for the implementation of two road sections passing through Kiên Giang and Bạc Liêu provinces under the trans-Việt Nam 2744-km-long Hồ Chí Minh Expressway project.

According to the option proposed by the ministry, the two sections will have a total length of nearly 52km, with about 45km in Kiên Giang Province.

They are the 11.2km Rạch Sỏi-Bến Nhất section and the 40.6km Gò Quao-Vĩnh Thuận section.

The total investment of the sections is estimated at VNĐ3.9 trillion (US$163 million) from the State budget.

The construction requires land acquisition of 96ha and relocation of more than 180 households.

Under the national road network plan in the period of 2021-30, with a vision for 2050, the sections will have two lanes, with a maximum speed of 80km per hour.

The site clearance and resettlement for the sections is expected to be implemented over two years (2022-2023), and the construction of the sections will begin in 2023 and complete in 2025.

The sections will help diversify modes of transport, promote the circulation of goods and passenger transportation, reduce transport time and costs, ensure traffic safety, and support socio-economic development in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces.

The Hồ Chí Minh Expressway project is an important work, having great significance in the economy, national defence-security, hunger eradication, and poverty alleviation.

The Party and State are paying great attention and allocate resources to implement the project.

The project was planned to open in 2020 but so far around 86 per cent of the work has been completed.

Passing through 28 provinces and cities from Pác Pó in the northern Cao Bằng Province to Đất Mũi in the southernmost province of Cà Mau, the expressway project was estimated to receive a total investment of VNĐ99.2 trillion ($4.1 billion).

From 2000 to 2011, the project's progress was on track.

However, due to the influence of the global economic crisis, the Government issued Resolution No 11/NQ-CP on February 24, 2011, and stopped or delayed projects, including component projects of the Hồ Chí Minh Expressway.

More than 2,360km have been completed so far, reaching 86.1 per cent of the whole route, and about 258km of branch lines were completed too.

Other 211km of the expressway are under construction while the remaining 171km have not yet been allocated capital for implementation.

Road expansion

The Ministry of Transport has approved a project on upgrading and expanding the 29km Cao Lãnh-Lộ Tẻ Route passing Đồng Tháp Province and the city of Cần Thơ.

The project will build a new intersection and 29 new bridges on the route.

The route will be widened to six lanes, and connect to the Lộ Tẻ-Rạch Sỏi route in Cần Thơ.

The total investment cost is around VNĐ950 billion ($39.6 million). The project will be carried out from 2022 to 2025. — VNS