The HCM City - Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận Expressway expansion project will be completed in 2028 - Photo danviet.vn

HCM CITY - The HCM City - Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận Expressway expansion project, aimed at reducing traffic congestion, is scheduled to begin in December and be completed in 2028.

On September 5, Project Management Unit 7 under the Ministry of Construction said that preparations for the expressway expansion project are ongoing, with construction beginning in December.

In addition, it has sent a feasibility study report for the expansion project to the Department for Roads of Việt Nam.

Accordingly, the project will be constructed between 2025-2028, with a total investment of over VNĐ41.4 trillion (US$1.63 billion), which is VNĐ1.57 trillion higher than previously estimated.

Investors of the expansion project include Đèo Cả Group Joint Stock Company, HCM City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company, Tasco Joint Stock Company, Hoàng Long Construction Investment Corporation - Joint Stock Company, and CII Service and Investment One Member Co. Ltd.

The expressway will be extended to 96.13km (up from around 91km), beginning at Chợ Đệm Interchange (HCM City) and finishing at the northern approach of Mỹ Thuận 2 Bridge (Đồng Tháp Province).

The HCM City - Trung Lương section will be expanded from four to eight lanes, with a total width of 41m (currently 25.5m) and designed for a speed of 120km/h.

For the Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận section, the road will be expanded from four to six lanes, with a total width of 32.25m (currently 13.75m) and designed for a speed of 100km/h.

The expressway expansion project will also include the construction of an intelligent transport system, toll stations and rest stops along the expressway.

The expansion project, along with other traffic projects in southern Việt Nam, will help construct a comprehensive transport network across the key southern economic zone, progressively completing the expressway network in the Mekong Delta.

The expressway is a vital traffic artery, playing a crucial role in linking HCM City, an economic centre, with the Mekong Delta, especially the former Tiền Giang Province and Long An Province.

Currently, the expressway often suffers from severe congestion, particularly on weekends and holidays. – VNS