$15.1 bln to expand HCMC - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway

The Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway is to be expanded from the existing four lanes to six and eight lanes, with investment capital estimated at nearly VND38.7 trillion ($1.51 billion), according to Project Management 7.

The 91.8-km expressway connects the southern city with Long An and Tien Giang provinces in the Mekong Delta.

In the feasibility study submitted to the Ministry of Transport by Project Management 7, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong section will be upgraded to eight lanes, along with two emergency stopping lanes, with a roadbed width of 41 meters allowing a maximum speed of 120 km/h.

Meanwhile, the Trung Luong - My Thuan section will be expanded to six lanes, along with two emergency stopping lanes, with a roadbed width of 32.25 meters allowing a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

The project is scheduled for implementation between 2024 and 2028, and will be funded through the public-private partnership (PPP) model under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract, without any contribution from the State budget.

Total investment will comprise VND5.8 trillion ($228.4 million), or 15 per cent, from the investors, with the remaining VND32.88 trillion ($1.29 billion) to be sourced through loans and other financial resources.