Important decision on the busiest highway in the West

TPO - The busiest expressway in the West will be upgraded to 8 lanes, along with a series of synchronized projects such as bridges, intersections and intelligent traffic systems. This is an important step to overcome the constant traffic jams and improve regional transport capacity.

The Minister of Construction has just signed a decision approving the project to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway under the PPP method. This is the most important project in the Southern key economic region, expected to relieve traffic pressure that has lasted for many years on the main artery connecting the West with Ho Chi Minh City.

The extended route is more than 96km long, starting from Cho Dem intersection (HCMC) and ending at the northern end of My Thuan 2 bridge (Dong Thap), passing through HCMC, Long An (now Tay Ninh) and Dong Thap.

Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway. Photo: Canh Ky.

According to the approved scale, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong section will be expanded to 8 lanes, aiming to complete the planning of 10 - 12 lanes in the future. The sections from Trung Luong to My Thuan and from An Thai Trung to My Thuan 2 bridge will be completed with 6 lanes, ensuring the design speed of 100 - 120km/h.

The expansion comes with a synchronous upgrade of the intelligent traffic management system, non-stop toll collection, load control and interconnection with neighboring routes. Two new rest stops are located on the axis to serve the needs of people and vehicles.

The project also renovates and upgrades 8 existing intersections, and adds 2 more interchanges to increase connectivity. The total reclaimed land area is about 1,070 hectares, most of which has been cleared from the previous phase; the additional area of ​​more than 120 hectares is concentrated in Long An and Dong Thap .

In the immediate future, the HCMC - Trung Luong section will be expanded to 8 lanes, aiming to complete the planning of 10-12 lanes in the future. Photo: VGP.

The total investment of the project is over VND 36,170 billion, including 15% of the investor's equity and 85% of mobilized capital. The starting service price is determined at VND 2,100/km for group 1 vehicles. With financial parameters such as loan interest rate of 10.5%/year and equity return of 11.7%/year, the project's capital recovery fee collection period is about 17 years and 3 months.

The project is expected to start construction this year and be completed and put into operation in 2028. When completed, the expanded expressway will become a strategic traffic axis of the West, not only reducing traffic congestion but also creating momentum for socio-economic development for the entire region.

The project is considered an important initial step before the synchronous completion of the "backbone highway" connecting Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho - Ca Mau, opening up new development space for the whole region in the coming decades.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/quyet-dinh-quan-trong-ve-tuyen-cao-toc-dong-duc-nhat-mien-tay-post1799889.tpo