The Mỹ Thuận 2 Bridge on the North-South Expressway is expected to be completed in 2023 to facilitate traffic in the Mekong Delta. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí

MEKONG DELTA — A number of expressways have been built or are under construction in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, enabling the region to keep up with the rapid socio-economic development momentum of the rest of the country.

In April last year the Trung Lương-Mỹ Thuận Expressway opened to traffic after 13 years of construction and frequent delays.

Part of the incomplete 196km HCM City-Cần Thơ Expressway and passing through Tiền Giang Province, the six-lane road is 51km long and cost VNĐ12.7 trillion (US$539 million) to build.

It plays an important role in enabling nearly 20 million people to travel to and trade with HCM City and other south-eastern localities, and reducing the congestion on National Highway 1A.

Trần Văn Đạm, director of Lộc Phát Company Limited, a cargo transporter on the Cần Thơ - HCM City route, said the expressway has helped reduce travel time by 1.5-2 hours, cut fuel and other costs and ease congestion, especially during the Tết holidays.

The 23km Mỹ Thuận - Cần Thơ stretch of the HCM City-Cần Thơ Expressway is set to be finished this year, finally marking the latter's completion.

Pre-feasibility study for a 135km high-speed rail route between HCM City and Cần Thơ city will be done this year.

Many more traffic works are scheduled to start in the first quarter of this year.

They include the 110km Cần Thơ- Cà Mau expressway costing VNĐ27.5 trillion ($1.2 billion), the 188km Châu Đốc-Cần Thơ-Sóc Trăng expressway costing VNĐ45 trillion ($1.9 billion), and the 15.2km Đại Ngãi Bridge worth more than VNĐ8 trillion ($340 million) on National Highway No. 60 over the Hậu River between Trà Vinh and Sóc Trăng provinces. 

Construction of the 17.6km Rạch Miễu No 2 Bridge over the Tiền River between Tiền Giang and Bến Tre provinces started in March last year.

It is budgeted to cost VNĐ5.2 trillion ($221 million). — VNS