Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính inspected the progress on the construction of the Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HCM CITY — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Tuesday (the fourth day of the new lunar year) visited and inspected the progress on the three key projects in the southern region -- Ring Road 3 in HCM City, Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province, and Biên Hoà-Vũng Tàu Expressway.

The Ring Road 3 project, about 76.34km long, traverses HCM City and the nearby provinces of Bình Dương, Long An, and Đồng Nai. Invested with some VNĐ75.378 trillion (US$3 billion), it is scheduled to be basically completed in 2025 and put into use in 2026.

Visiting the engineers and workers who are building an elevated section of this road in Thủ Đức City of HCM City, PM Chính appreciated them working throughout the Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday to step up construction.

He said Ring Road 3 of HCM City plays an important role in connecting main domestic and international transport gateways, linking economic hubs in the south, and promoting socio-economic development in not only HCM City but also the entire southern region and Việt Nam.

Given this, the Government leader asked the relevant localities and units to keep making efforts to accelerate the project and put it into use in 2026.

At the construction site of Long Thành International Airport, PM Chính said this was the third Tết he had inspected this project, after the Tết holidays in 2022 and 2023.

He praised efforts by ministries and sectors, especially the Ministry of Transport, the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam, along with the Party organisation, administration and people of Đồng Nai Province, in implementing the project.

As this project is lagging behind schedule, he ordered ministries, sectors, units, and the province push ahead with accelerating its progress to complete the construction in 2026.

The PM also ordered them conduct frequent examination to ensure the quality, technical and aesthetic aspects, environmental hygiene, and labour safety while preventing negative acts and wastefulness.

In addition, he asked for the resettlement work to be centred on people, noting that it is important to properly handle people’s opinions, protect their rights and legitimate interests, and especially ensure their life quality in new living places is better than in previous ones.

On this occasion, PM Chính also visited a resettlement area for the airport project in An Bình hamlet of Lộc An Commune, Long Thành District.

PM Chính had talks with the workers of the HCM City's Ring Road No.3 project. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

The same day, he made a fact-finding trip of the Biên Hoà-Vũng Tàu Expressway project, which is 53.7km long in the first phase and has total investment of nearly VNĐ18 trillion. This road will feature six intersections, including two important ones of HCM City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây and Bến Lức - Long Thành.

Talking to relevant ministries, sectors, and localities, the Cabinet chief highlighted this expressway’s importance to connecting HCM City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây Expressway, Bến Lức Expressway, and the roads to Long Thành Airport, thus helping solve traffic congestion on National Highway 51.

Biên Hoà-Vũng Tàu Expressway will also help maximise the potential of the Cái Mép Thị Vải seaport complex and Long Thành Airport while fostering socio-economic development in Đồng Nai and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces as well as the southeastern region, he added.

The PM assigned tasks to the relevant sides and demanded that all difficulties and obstacles related to site clearance and construction materials be resolved by June 30 this year to speed up the project and complete it in 2025. — VNS