HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Ho Chi Minh City is looking into extending its East-West Boulevard to Long An province to boost regional connectivity.
The municipal Department of Construction is working with Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of HCM City (slated to be the investor) to carry our feasibility studies and propose investment plans for 2026 – 2030.
The extended road will connect National Highway 1 (the intersection with Vo Van Kiet Street) in HCM City to the border between Long An and HCM City.
It will be around 14.6km long and 60m wide, divided into three segments, and is expected to cost nearly 19.4 trillion VND (747 million USD), allow for a speed of 80 km/h for its car/truck lanes and 60km/h for mixed lanes.
The investment project will also include six river-crossing bridges, in addition to an intersection with Ring Road 3.
The 22km East-West Boulevard, also known as the Vo Van Kiet - Thu Thiem Tunnel - Mai Chi Thọ Route, was open to traffic in 2011, connecting National Highway 1 to the Hanoi Highway.
It made it more convenient for vehicles to access the logistically important Cat Lai Port and ease traffic on Saigon Bridge and other main roads of HCM City.
In 2015, HCM City started building a 2.7km route connecting Vo Van Kiet Street to the HCM City – Trung Luong Expressway, which was postponed due to business violations. This unfinished route will be utilised as one of the three segments of the East-West Boulevard extension project.
HCM City to use municipal budget for Metro Line No. 2 project
The Metro Line No. 2 project has an estimated investment of nearly 47.9 trillion VND (2 billion USD) and has nearly completed land clearance, at 99.8%. The NA’s Resolution 188 authorises HCM City to develop seven metro lines spanning 355 kilometres over the next decade, with preliminary total investment for the 2025-2035 phase estimated at 40.2 billion USD.
