The first phase of the massive Mien Dong Bus Station will open on August 15.

VnExpress reports that the new facility, which straddles the border between Saigon and Binh Duong Province, will begin servicing 71 routes that stretch longer than 1,100 kilometers starting in a few weeks.

The bus station covers 16 hectares and will be the largest such building in the country when it opens. It is meant to eventually fully replace the existing eastern bus station in Binh Thanh District, which creates terrible traffic congestion around public holidays.

Work on the new station began in April 2017 and has been repeatedly delayed. In late February this year, officials announced that it would open in late April, but further construction delays and the pandemic prevented that from happening.

Once the station is fully operational, it will be able to handle 7 million passengers for year. However, as of now, there is no timeline for when construction will be completed, and it is not clear what remains to be done either.

[Photo via Nguoi Do Thi]