Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee designated as competent authority for National Highway 51 renovation and upgrade Project

On March 16, according to the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee sent a document to the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee regarding the implementation of renovation and upgrade Project of National Highway 51 (Phase 2) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, and a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract.

National Highway 51, an artery connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai, has deteriorated. Photo: Pham Tung

Clarifying the need for state capital participation in the project

Accordingly, in document No. 1726/UBND-DA dated March 9, 2026, sent to the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, considering the proposal of the consortium of Construction Corporation No. 1 – JSC and Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway Development Joint Stock Company (CC1-BVEC consortium), reports from relevant units and regulations, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee agreed that the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee would serve as the competent authority, coordinating with the Ministry of Construction to implement subsequent procedures to carry out the Project to Renovate and Upgrade National Highway 51 (phase 2) under the PPP model in the form of a BOT contract.

Previously, in February 2026, Ho Chi Minh City authorities dismantled the T3 road toll booth at Km56+393 National Highway 51, in Tan Hai ward. For the two toll booths T1 and T2 on National Highway 51 in Dong Nai province, the Provincial Department of Construction also sent documents requesting the Ministry of Construction to direct their dismantling. However, to date, the removal of these two toll booths has not yet been carried out.

Concurrently, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee also requested that during the research process, investors continue to review and clarify whether there is a need for state capital participation in the project, as a basis for reporting to the provincial People's Council before agreeing to assign a locality as the competent authority as stipulated.

At the same time, before considering and deciding to assign investors to research and prepare a report on the proposal for investment policy, the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee should provide feedback for the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to adjust Decision No. 2829/QD-UBND dated November 19, 2025, of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, as a basis for considering and deciding on assigning investors to research and prepare a proposal for investment policy as stipulated.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee will direct specialized agencies to coordinate closely with agencies of Dong Nai province, supporting investors in the process of surveying and preparing the project dossier for the section passing through Ho Chi Minh City, ensuring compliance with legal regulations.

Addressing long-standing issues promptly

National Highway 51 is an artery connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai and neighboring areas. The project to expand National Highway 51 from Km0+900 to Km73+600 was approved by the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) for BVEC to serve as the investor under a BOT contract. The project stretches more than 72 km, running through Dong Nai and the former Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province (now part of Ho Chi Minh City). The project contract was signed in 2009, commenced in August 2009,  completed and put into operation from April 2013.

Toll booth T1 on National Highway 51 passing through Dong Nai province has not been dismantled yet. Photo: Pham Tung

However, during the negotiations on the settlement of investment capital and the determination of the financial plan between BVEC and the Department for Roads of Vietnam, although the parties reached agreement on several issues, several key issues have remained unresolved despite years of negotiations.

While the parties are still negotiating (for nearly a decade with 18 meetings), the the Department for Roads of Vietnam issued Official Letter No. 137/CDBVNTC dated January 9, 2023, requesting a temporary halt to toll collection at the project's toll booths from January 13, 2023, to have a basis for calculating and accurately determining the cessation time of project's toll collection.

Currently, the investor is continuing to work with the Department for Roads of Vietnam and the Ministry of Construction to promptly resolve outstanding issues, accurately determine the final settlement value and the remaining payback period of the project, as a basis for recovering investment capital and repaying loans to financing banks, according to the report of the CC1-BVEC joint venture.

Meanwhile, the new Dong Nai Bridge Construction Investment Project and the two bridge approach roads from Tan Van intersection to the end point of Bien Hoa bypass (Dong Nai Bridge BOT Project) were carried out by investor CC1. The project has been completed, accepted, and put into operation. However, toll collection was temporarily suspended from August 24, 2020, following the directive of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (now the Department for Roads of Vietnam) to review, address existing issues and obstacles, and determine the official toll collection time for the project as a basis for resuming toll collection.

In October 2025, the CC1–BVEC consortium proposed the implementation of the renovation and upgrade Project of National Highway 51 (Phase 2) under a PPP model, in the form of a BOT contract.

According to the consortium, more than five years after suspension of toll collection for the Dong Nai Bridge project and three years after toll collection was suspended for Phase 1 of the National Highway 51 BOT Project, final agreements have yet to be reached between the investor and the state management authority, the Department for Roads of Vietnam.

Therefore, in their proposal, the investor consortium stated that for the investment in the National Highway 51 Renovation and Upgrade Project (Phase 2), the investor consortium wishes to simultaneously operate and recover the investment capital, while integrating solutions to address the existing issues and obstacles of the two projects: National Highway 51 BOT Project Phase 1, in which BVEC is the investor, and Dong Nai Bridge BOT Project, in which CC1 is the investor.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha