The extended road, which will be 5.5 km long, runs from Mai Dich intersection in Cau Giay district to Km5+500 on Thang Long bridge. It will have six lanes and five walking bridges.

The project covers an area of about 39.2 hectares across two wards in Cau Giay district and three wards in Bac Tu Liem district.

At VND1.824 trillion (over US$81 million), the cost of land clearance accounts for more than half the investment. So far 35% of the land clearance is done.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, highlighted the important role of the Ring Road 3’s extension for improving the city’s connectivity.

“Ring Road 3 is the lifeline of the city, linking the northern and north-eastern provinces, industrials zones and Noi Bai International Airport with the city centre,” he said.

Once completed, the road is expected to ease traffic congestion on Pham Van Dong, Nguyen Hoang Ton and Co Nhue và Hoang Quoc Viet crossroads.

The road will also move forward the transport ministry’s plan to build a bridge from Mai Dich to Thang Long bridge, which will wrap up Ring Road 3 construction as planned until 2030, with a vision towards 2050, he said.

The Chairman asked investors and contractors to mobilise sufficient human and material resources to ensure that the project maintains high quality standards, keeps the environment clean and does not affect residents.

“The city’s construction department must work with the transport department to move trees from the construction area to nursery gardens for cultivation,” he said.

The extension of Ring Road 3 is one of the 52 key projects for the city between 2016 and 2020. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gave the project the go-ahead with specific mechanisms in awarding the contract.