New expressway proposed to connect Hoa Binh and Son La

HANOI, April 23 (Engineering Daily) -- The northern province of Son La People’s Committee has proposed the Government approve the Hoa Binh-Moc Chau Expressway project to better connect two northern provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La as well as Hanoi and northwestern provinces.

The four-lane expressway is designed to start in Trung Minh Commune in Hoa Binh City and end in Phieng Luong Commune, Moc Chau District in Son La Province.

If the project is approved this year, it could be open to traffic by 2022, allowing vehicles to travel at an average speed of 80km per hour.

The construction of the expressway will require land clearance over an area of about 870ha, including 503ha in Hoa Binh Province and 367ha in Son La Province.

Once the Hoa Binh-Moc Chau expressway is opened, traveling time from Hanoi to Moc Chau will be reduced to two hours by coaches instead of over three hours as currently.

The expressway will also make National Highway No 6 no longer the only road from Hanoi to Moc Chau, thus is expected to help boost development of Moc Chau National Tourism Area and Hoa Binh Lake Tourism Area.

Early last month, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked the Transport Ministry, People’s Committees in two provinces and other relevant agencies to prepare a proposal on the expressway so that the Government will add it to national planning on expressways.