$1.05 bln investment proposed for southern Vietnam expressway

The Ministry of Transport has proposed to build the Ho Chi Minh City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh expressway, which will run from HCMC to Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc provinces, in the form of public-private partnership (PPP).

The expressway will pass through HCMC, Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc with lengths of 1.7 kilometers, 60 kilometers, and seven kilometers, respectively.

The 68.7-kilometer route includes two sections. The first, an 8.6-kilometer linking-expressway, will run from Go Dua intersection (Ring 3 of HCMC) to An Phu intersection (Ring 3 of Binh Duong). The other connects An Phu intersection with National Highway 14 in Chon Thanh district, Binh Phuoc province.

As planned, the linking-expressway section will have six lanes, with a roadbed width of 60-64 meters. The second section will also have six lanes, of which four lanes belong to phase 1 with a roadbed width of 17 meters.

The ministry estimated the total investment capital for the project’s phase 1 at more than VND24,300 billion ($1.05 billion, excluding loan interest), half of which will come from private investors. The project, if approved, will be implemented between 2021 and 2025.

The expressway is expected to address the transportation demands of HCMC's gateway area, relieve traffic congestion on National Highway 13, and contribute to socioeconomic growth.

Thu Dau Mot town is the heart of Binh Duong province, a manufacturing hub of southern Vietnam. Chon Thanh district in Binh Phuoc has a strategic position as it is home to two major roads - National Highway 13 that connects with the Southeast provinces and the Trans-Asian route to Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand; and National Highway 14 that connects with the Central Highlands and Southwest provinces.