The groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of National Highway No 13 through Bình Phước Province. — Photo baobinhphuoc.com.vn

BÌNH PHƯỚC — National Highway No 13 in Lộc Ninh District in the southern province of Bình Phước will be upgraded and expanded, with completion expected in 2022.

The local People’s Committee on September 21 organised a groundbreaking ceremony to start work at a 12.5km section stretching from Lộc Tấn junction to the Hoa Lư international border gate, worth VNĐ450 billion (US$19.4 million).

The section will be widened to 24m from Lộc Tấn junction to the section adjacent to the Hoa Lư border gate economic zone, and widened to 48m in the remaining part.

It will be designed to withstand an axle load of 12 tonnes, with a speed limit of 80km per hour.

The project is expected to better meet the needs of commercial connections with neighboring Cambodia and key economic regions, as well as the Hoa Lư border gate economic zone.

The Hoa Lư border gate is located in Lộc Ninh District’s Lộc Hòa and Lộc Thạnh communes and at the ending point of National Highway No 13. It facilitates trade with the Trapeang Sre Border Gate in Cambodia's Kratie Province.

The Hoa Lư border gate economic zone, established in 2005, covers nearly 285sq.m areas in Lộc Ninh Town and the communes Lộc Thái, Lộc Tấn and Lộc Hòa in Lộc Ninh District.

National Highway No 13 has a total length of 140.5km, running through HCM City, and Bình Dương and Bình Phước provinces. It is an important route linking HCM City with the economic zone.

Many sections of the highway have been severely damaged because of heavy traffic.

HCM City also plans to upgrade and expand a 5.5km section of the highway from the city's Bình Phước intersection to Bình Triệu Bridge in Thủ Đức District. — VNS