Nhan Dan Online - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday announced its approval of a US$410.2 million loan for construction of a 51-kilometer, four-lane expressway linking Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai province.

The expressway, which will be tolled, will start from the center of Ho Chi Minh City (the junction of the Second Ring Road in District 9) and end at the junction with National Highway 1 at Dau Giay in Dong Nai Province.

This major project includes the construction of a 1,700-meter bridge over the Dong Nai River at Long Thanh.

The new expressway, scheduled to be completed in 2014, will contribute to a more streamlined traffic flow, which will have a significant impact on economic activities in Ho Chi Minh City, the surrounding provinces, and the Greater Mekong Subregion

Better roads will help reduce transport costs, transportation time as well as pollution caused by traffic congestion and traffic accidents, said John Cooney, Director, Infrastructure Division of ADB’s Southeast Asia Department.

The entire expressway project will cost US$932 million, with other funding coming from the Japan Bank for International Co-operation and the Vietnam Expressway Corporation.