Trung Luong-My Thuan expressway opens to traffic

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and delegates at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on January 19 attended a ceremony to open the main road of Trung Luong-My Thuan expressway, a key route linking the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City and localities in the southern key economic region.

Addressing the event, President Phuc hailed efforts by leaders of Tien Giang and Deo Ca Group as well as relevant agencies in overcoming difficulties, especially in relocating more than 3,200 households at the project site, to complete the project with high quality.

He requested the construction sector to speed up the progress of My Thuan Bridge and the My Thuan-Can Tho expressway to complete the entire route from Trung Luong to Can Tho.

The State leader also assigned the Ministry of Transport to make plans on the construction of expressway, railway and waterway routes linking Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City.

The construction of the Trung Luong-My Thuan expressway has been delayed for a decade with the project’s investor changed two times and the completion deadline put off four times.

After the Deo Ca group was invited by investors to take charge of the project in March 2019, the work was again affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, with the tremendous efforts made by engineers and workers of the group, the road was completed after three years.

The 51.5km long expressway, which is an extension of the existing HCM City-Trung Luong Expressway, is part of the eastern section of the North-South Expressway. Together with the under-construction My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway will enable smooth transport from HCM City to Can Tho city.

It will shorten travel between the cities to two hours from the current three to four hours.

Earlier the same day, as part of his trip to the Mekong Delta, President Phuc offered incense to the Hung Kings at the Hung King Temple in Can Tho city.