The Mai Dich - South Thang Long section of Hanoi’s Ring Road No.3, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s ODA loan, was officially opened to traffic on October 11 after 2 years and 4 months of construction.

Officials cut ribbon at the auguration ceremony. Photo: JICA

This is one of the works that celebrate the 1,010th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the 17th city Party Congress.

The section connects the Mai Dich intersection and the South Thang Long intersection of Ring Road No. 3 which runs along the outskirts of the capital city. The 5.4-km section has 4.8km of viaduct.

This is the only elevated highway in Hanoi that allows a maximum speed of 100km per hour. It cost a total of VND5.34 trillion (US$230 million).

Together with the expanded Pham Van Dong street below it, the elevated section helps reduce traffic congestion in one of the most heavily-transited roads in Hanoi that connect the inner city with Noi Bai airport and northern provinces.

JICA and the Vietnamese government signed a loan agreement worth 20.6 trillion yen in 2013 to implement the project which started construction in 2018.

An aerial view of the Mai Dich - South Thang Long section. Photo: VnExpress

JICA has a long history of cooperation for the development of Ring Road No.3 in Hanoi. Japanese ODA loans were provided for the Red river bridge construction project, Hanoi city Ring Road No.3 construction project, and new national highway No.3 and regional road network project.

In 2007, Thanh Tri bridge crossing the Red river connecting to Ring Road No.3 was completed. After that, the Northern and Southern approaching roads of the bridge opened to traffic respectively in 2009 and 2010.

Subsequently, in 2012, a 9km-section connecting the intersection of National Highway No.32 with the North side of Linh Dam lake, which is the Southwestern section of Ring Road No.3, opened to traffic. Finally, in 2014, the section connecting Hanoi and
Thai Nguyen city was also completed.