Approval granted for expansion project of expressway linking Long Thanh Airport with HCMC

 The Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has issued a decision approving the expansion project for the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh Expressway section running through Dong Nai Province and Ho Chi Minh City.

The expansion project of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway has a total investment of nearly 15 thousand billion VND. Archive photo

According to the investment approval decision, the expansion project of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway section, part of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, has a total investment of nearly 15 thousand billion VND. The project is planned to be carried out from 2025 to 2027.

Of the total project investment capital, public investment (state budget) amounts to VND 6.5 trillion, including VND 2.5 trillion from the 2024 central budget revenue surplus and VND 4 trillion from the medium-term capital plan for the 2026–2030 period; VEC’s capital (including interest during the construction period) is nearly VND 1.7 trillion; and loans from commercial banks and credit institutions total more than VND 6.7 trillion.

The expanded Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway section will be approximately 22 km long, following the original route with expansions on both sides. The Long Thanh bridge section will be expanded to the right side of the existing route (downstream side). Specifically, the section from the Ring Road 2 interchange to Ring Road 3 interchange, over 4.8 km long, will be widened from 4 to 8 lanes; the section from Ring Road 3 interchange to the interchange with Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, over 14.7 km long, will be widened from 4 to 10 lanes.

Additionally, the project will build a new Long Thanh bridge (over 2.3 km long) with 5 complete lanes in the direction from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai, located on the right side of the existing bridge. The project will also complete 5 interchange nodes along the route, with direct interchanges designed to extend appropriately with the expansion scale.

Perspective of Ring Road 3 interchange with Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway. Photo: Consultant unit

The investment objective is to complete the expressway to a scale consistent with approved planning, meeting the increasing transportation demand, shortening travel time, and reducing transport costs. Importantly, it will facilitate smooth connectivity from Long Thanh International Airport to Ho Chi Minh City, supporting socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security for the southern key economic region.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway was put into operation in its first phase with 4 lanes in 2015. However, in recent years, due to rapid increases in traffic volume, especially during peak hours and weekends, the route has experienced overload and localized congestion, particularly at the route’s beginning, the Long Thanh bridge area, and the National Highway 51 interchange.

According to VEC, the traffic volume on this expressway increases by an average of more than 10.4% per year. Currently, the expressway is saturated, especially the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh section, which has exceeded its designed capacity.

By: Pham Tung
Translated by: Minh Hanh - Minho