Lương Minh Phúc, director of HCM City Management Board of Traffic Works Construction and Investment, speaks at a press conference on Thursday to update information about the Ring Road 3 crossing HCM City. Photo courtesy of the HCM City Press Centre

HCM CITY — Construction of the highly-anticipated Belt Road No 3 in HCM City is officially underway, with workers breaking ground on the project on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Lương Minh Phúc, director of HCM City Management Board of Traffic Works Construction and Investment, the project’s developer, said HCM City had handed over 87 per cent of the land needed for the road’s section.

“The developer has completed all the necessary procedures such as selection of contractors and consultant agencies for the project, ensuring its construction to start on June 18,” he noted.

Belt Road 3 has a total length of 76.3km, passing through four localities: HCM City (47.35km); Bình Dương (10.76km); Đồng Nai (11.26 km); and Long An (6.81km).

In HCM City, the 47.35-km section passes through Thủ Đức City and the districts of Hóc Môn, Củ Chi and Bình Chánh.

Designed for speeds of 60-100 km per hour, the road has four lanes for commuting and two lanes for emergency stops.

It has a total investment of VNĐ75.4 trillion (US$3.2 billion) with 50 per cent from the central budget and the other half from the four localities.

The road is expected to fully complete in 2026, according to Phúc.

Belt Road 3, which will connect the eastern and western parts of the city, promises to provide much-needed relief to the city’s overburdened transport system.

It will connect key areas of the city and help facilitate the movement of people and goods, ultimately improving the quality of life for residents.

The project is part of the city’s broader transport infrastructure plan aimed at addressing the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation and population growth.

The new road is expected to reduce congestion on key arterial routes, as well as improve access to the city’s ports and industrial zones.

Other expressways

Construction of the Biên Hòa-Vũng Tàu expressway and the Khánh Hòa-Buôn Ma Thuột expressway will also begin on Sunday, according to Phúc.

The 53.7km-long Biên Hòa-Vũng Tàu expressway will run through the south-eastern provinces of Đồng Nai and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu.

With an investment cost of VNĐ17.8 trillion ($758.5 million), the expressway will have four to six lanes in the first phase and six to eight lanes in the second phase.

It requires an area of 519ha and about 3,130 households must be relocated. It is scheduled to be completed by 2025 and open to traffic in 2026.

In addition, the Khánh Hòa-Buôn Ma Thuột expressway will have a length of 117.5km with four lanes, passing through the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk and the central-coastal province of Khánh Hòa.

With an investment of VNĐ21.9 trillion ($933.3 million), it requires an area of 938ha and about 771 local households must be relocated. It is expected to be open to traffic in 2027. — VNS