Groundbreaking for traffic connection project between Tây Ninh and Bình Dương provinces last year. — Photo sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City and neighbouring Tây Ninh Province plan to start building the HCM City-Mộc Bài Expressway at an estimated cost of VNĐ13.61 trillion (US$587 million).

After reaching an agreement with its Tây Ninh counterpart, the HCM City People’s Committee has sought permission from the Ministry of Transport to go ahead.

The Government has approved the Ministry of Transport’s proposal to give the city administration the authority to approve investment decisions pertaining to the expressway.

The 53.5km-long road will run from Ring Road No 3 in the city’s Hóc Môn District to the Mộc Bài International Border Gate with Cambodia in Tây Ninh.

The work will be divided into two phases.

The first will cost VNĐ10.7 trillion ($461.7 million) and be carried out as a public-private partnership deal. It is expected to be completed by 2025 with at least four lanes. In the second, by 2045, it will be expanded to six or eight lanes.

HCM City and Tây Ninh signed an agreement for it in 2019.

National Road 22 is currently the only one from the city to the Mộc Bài border gate, which provides land access to Southeast Asia, and the number of vehicles using it is increasing by 8 – 10 per cent a year.

Tây Ninh also plans to build two new roads and upgrade an existing one starting this year at a total cost of VNĐ4.5 trillion ($194 million).

In 2021-25 it will build the N8 - 787B - 789 road running a length of 48km with six bridges. To run through Trảng Bàng Town and Dương Minh Châu District and Bình Dương and Bình Phước provinces, it will cost more than VNĐ3.4 trillion ($148 million).

The other new road will be a 16km section between Provincial Highway No. 794 from the Kà Tum junction to Sài Gòn 2 Bridge in HCM City.

The 22.5m wide, four-lane construction will cost VNĐ500 billion ($21.5 million) and is expected to be completed by 2024.

Highway No.794 connects HCM City with Tây Ninh and Bình Phước provinces.

The third project involves the upgrade and widening of a 36.2km section of Provincial Highway No. 795 between Tân Biên Town and the Dầu Tiếng Reservoir in Tân Châu District at a cost of VNĐ564 billion ($24.5 million). It will be finished in 2024.

HCM City and Tây Ninh Province are among eight provinces and cities that make up the southern key economic zone.

The new HCM City- Tây Ninh expressway is expected to ease congestion and facilitate economic growth in the southern region, especially in the industrial parks, export processing zones and the Mộc Bài Border Gate Economic Zone.

It will also enhance transport connectivity and promote trade between Việt Nam and neighbouring countries. — VNS