A section of HCM City’s East-West Boulevard, which the city is planning to extend to connect to Long An Province. – VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City is looking into extending its East-West Boulevard to Long An Province to boost regional connectivity.

HCM City’s Department of Construction is working with Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of HCM City (slated to be the investor) to carry our feasibility studies and propose investment plans for 2026 – 2030.

The extended road will connect National Highway 1 (the intersection with Võ Văn Kiệt Street) in HCM City to the border between Long An and HCM City.

It will be around 14.6km long and 60m wide, divided into three segments, and is expected to cost nearly VNĐ19.4 trillion, allow for a speed of 80 km/h for its car/truck lanes and 60km/h for mixed lanes.

The investment project will also include six river-crossing bridges, in addition to an intersection with Ring Road 3.

The 22km East-West Boulevard, also known as the Võ Văn Kiệt - Thủ Thiêm Tunnel - Mai Chí Thọ Route, was open to traffic in 2011, connecting National Highway 1 to the Hà Nội Highway.

It made it more convenient for vehicles to access the logistically important Cát Lái Port and ease traffic on Saigon Bridge and other main roads of HCM City.

In 2015, HCM City started building a 2.7km route connecting Võ Văn Kiệt Street to the HCM City – Trung Lương Expressway, which was postponed due to business violations. This unfinished route will be utilised as one of the three segments of the East-West Boulevard extension project. – VNS