PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents decision to allocate 2.18 trillion VND (93.94 million USD) from the State budget for the project. (Photo: VNA)
Tien Giang (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked competent ministries and companies to accelerate construction of the Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway project in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang so that it can be inaugurated in 2021.
He made the requirement while inspecting the construction progress of the expressway on September 27.
Besides assuring the scheduled progress, the expressway must be built with good quality, the Government leader ordered.
He also presented a decision approving the allocation of 2.18 trillion VND (93.94 million USD) from the State budget for the project, and asked the Ministries of Finance, and Planning and Investment, and the provincial People’s Committee to disburse the money in line with legal regulations.
Work on the 51.1-km Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway started in 2015 under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model with an investment of 14.7 trillion VND, and was initially expected to be completed in 2018. It was under the management of the Transport Ministry before the provincial People’s Committee took over.
The four-lane 14m-wide expressway starts at the intersection of Than Cuu Nghia in Chau Thanh district and ends at the intersection with National Highway 30 in Ho Chi Minh City’s Cai Be district.
Once completed, the expressway will shorten the travel time between HCM City and the Mekong Delta localities, bolster the socio-economic development of Mekong Delta region and reduce traffic congestion on National Highway 1.
A total of 3,292 households in 26 communes and wards of five districts and towns in Tien Giang province have to relocate to make way for the expressway.
The project was suspended in November 2018 due to difficulties in securing loans and changes in public investment policies.
In the past time, the provincial People’s Committee has worked to remove bottlenecks for the project so that it will be completed soon to serve socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta region./.
VNA