Weigh stations proposed at Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway and HCMC’s Ring Road 3 interchange

The Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has sent a written response to the Dong Nai City Transport Works Construction Investment Project Management Board regarding the proposed arrangement of vehicle weigh stations and toll collection facilities at the interchange connecting the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway with Component Project 3 of Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3 section running through Dong Nai City.

Construction is being accelerated at the interchange connecting the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway and Component Project 3 of Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 section through Dong Nai City

According to VEC, the corporation is studying options for locating vehicle weight-control stations on entrance ramps or along the main carriageway at interchanges connecting to the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway. The proposed weigh stations do not yet include turnaround lanes or unloading areas for overloaded vehicles.

Regarding investment in the toll collection system at the interchange between the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway and Component Project 3 of Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3, VEC said that, under an agreement reached between the Dong Nai City Transport Works Construction Investment Project Management Board and VEC at a meeting on March 24, 2023, the project management board would be responsible for investing in the toll collection system. VEC therefore asked for the board’s implementation in accordance with the agreed arrangements.

Previously, in a document sent to VEC, the Dong Nai City Transport Works Construction Investment Project Management Board said construction of Component Project 3 of Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3 was being expedited, including works connecting it to the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway. To ensure the project is completed and opened to traffic on schedule, the board asked VEC to consider investing in an electronic toll collection (ETC) system at the interchange between the two projects, enabling closed-system toll collection along the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway. If toll plazas are required, the board will work with VEC to review and agree on their locations, ensuring they are compatible with the transport organization plan and integrated with the intelligent transportation system (ITS) along the entire expressway.

According to the project management board, the two parties had agreed that Component Project 3 would include toll collection facilities to enable closed-system toll collection on the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway. However, under the overall implementation schedule for the component projects of Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, ETC equipment and an operations building are not scheduled for investment at this stage. As a result, Component Project 3 cannot complete the toll collection facilities in time to coincide with the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway’s opening to traffic.

By Pham Tung - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha