Construction of Phú Nhuận Bridge, part of the Trung Lương-Mỹ Thuận expressway project, is located in Tiền Giang Province’s Cai Lậy District. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

TIỀN GIANG — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Sunday praised Tiền Giang Province authorities and the main contractor of Trung Lương-Mỹ Thuận expressway project for completing 35 per cent of the construction work.

PM Phúc led a working team to inspect the progress of the project in Cai Lậy District’s Phú Nhuận Commune in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang.

He also cited the successful completion of site clearance that would allow land to be handed over to investors.

PM Phúc directed Tiền Giang Province authorities to use the remaining capital for the project in a timely manner.

The 51.1km long expressway has total investment capital of VNĐ12.7 trillion (nearly US$550 million).

The expressway is expected to reduce the travel time between HCM City and the Mekong Delta region and the overloading of vehicles on National Highway 1A.

Construction began in 2009, and was later delayed due to a lack of funds, and then restarted in 2015.

The expressway will open for traffic at the end of this year if all the work is completed on schedule, according to the main contractor Đèo Cả Investment Joint-Stock Company.

About VNĐ790 billion ($34 million) of the total investment capital will be disbursed in the first quarter of this year.

Construction on the Mỹ Thuận-Cần Thơ Expressway and Mỹ Thuận Bridge 2 projects should also be sped up to finish on schedule. 

The projects' completion is expected to enhance transportation connectivity between HCM City and the Mekong Delta provinces and cities, and boost the region’s socio-economic development, PM Phúc said.

He also assigned the Ministry of Transport to set up a plan to reopen toll fee collections on the HCM City-Trung Lương Expressway, which were stopped in January last year, in order to have funds for reinvestment in infrastructure. — VNS