Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (middle) and officials cut the ribbon to open the highway (Photo: VNA)
NDO/VNA – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung cut the ribbon to officially open the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway on February 8, which is expected to help ease traffic congestion, reduce transport cost and time, and promote trade between Ho Chi Minh City and its vicinities.
The 55-kilometre highway connecting National Highway 51 and north-south National Highway 1A has 8 lanes, a maximum vehicle speed of 80-120 kilometres per hour, and an initial construction cost of VND20.63 trillion (US$970 million).
The highway was funded by the Asia Development Bank (ADB), the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA)’s official development assistance (ODA), and the Government of Vietnam.
Speaking at a ceremony in the southern province of Dong Nai, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung hailed efforts by the Ministry of Transport and the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) for completing the project a year ahead of schedule.
The road will contribute significantly to local socio-economic development, said the Prime Minister, urging Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai authorities to rapidly design a development agenda focusing on job generation for households who gave up their land for the expressway’s construction.
He asked the VEC to work with local authorities to ensure smooth operations and maintenance of the expressway.
The Ministry of Transport will accelerate transport infrastructure development, particularly the expansion and improvement of National Highway 1A from northern Lang Son province to the southernmost province of Ca Mau in 2015, and generate resources for building and fine-tuning the Vietnamese highway system.
The Prime Minister took the occasion to thank international organisations, the ADB, and the Japanese Government for their long-term preferential capital for Vietnam to implement infrastructure projects, including the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway.
He said Vietnam hopes to receive continued support from domestic and international partners in the field and pledged to use the loans effectively.
HCM City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway opens Related image(s)
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