The HCM City - Thủ Dầu Một - Chơn Thành Expressway connecting HCM City and Bình Dương and Bình Phước provinces is expected to reduce travel time and boost development in the southern key economic region. — Illustration Photo www.sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — The Hồ Chí Minh Highway's Project Management Board has submitted three options for the HCM City - Thủ Dầu Một - Chơn Thành Expressway project. 

The expressway, which will traverse HCM City and Bình Dương and Bình Phước provinces, is expected to enhance transport connections, transport capacity, and socio-economic development in the southern key economic region.

The project management board, which is acting as the consultancy unit, is speeding up the pre-feasibility study that will be submitted to authorities for approval. 

The new expressway will have a total length of about 55km with six to eight lanes.

Of the three options, the first option would run from Bình Chuẩn in Bình Dương Province’s Thuận An City to Chơn Thành District in Bình Phước Province, with total investment of VNĐ33 billion (US$1.43 million).

The second option worth VNĐ27.5 billion ($1.2 million) would begin at An Phú Intersection in HCM City’s District 2, going along provincial highways No. 743 and 745, and end at Chơn Thành.

In the third option, the expressway would cost VNĐ21.6 billion ($935,000), going along the planned HCM City-Lộc Ninh railway, from Bình Chuẩn to Chơn Thành.

Travel distance now is about 120km on National Highway No.13 from HCM City through Bình Dương Province’s Thủ Dầu Một City to Bình Phước Province. The new expressway would reduce traffic pressure on the National Highway No.13, and shorten the travel time between HCM City and Bình Phước.

Construction is scheduled to begin before 2030. It will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) investment. — VNS