The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport held a working session with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on June 28 to seek measures for the quick implementation of the second phase of the Phap Van-Cau Gie road renovation project.

At the session, Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Hong Truong said that the Phap Van-Cau Gie road is a key route at the capital city’s southern gate, and forms the first section of the North-South highway linking the country’s core economic centres. It therefore has great impact on the socio-economic development of Hanoi and its surrounding areas.

However, he said that after more than 10 years of operation, the road is increasingly overloaded, especially during holidays, and the road surface quality has decreased dramatically, risking traffic safety.

A JICA representative said that the project, a model for Vietnam-Japan cooperation, aims to upgrade the 28-kilometre road into a highway and expand the existing four-lane road to six lanes.

The project is expected to reduce traffic jams, meet the increasing demand of travel from Hanoi to southern localities and increase the efficiency of trade exchange, thus contributing to the country’s economic development.

Both phases of the project are scheduled to be complete in 2018.-VNA