12 years to complete Southeastern- Southwestern expressway link

According to the plan, the entire Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway will be opened to traffic on September 30. Twelve years after construction began, the expressway linking Southeastern and Southwestern Vietnam will finally be fully connected.

The Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway is nearly 58km long and runs through Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai City and Tay Ninh Province. Nearly 29km of the route runs through Dong Nai. Photo: Pham Tung

According to the plan, Phuoc Khanh Bridge, a key component of the project, will be opened to traffic on September 30, marking the completion of the entire Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway. Photo: Pham Tung

Phuoc Khanh Bridge spans the Long Tau River, connecting Can Gio in Ho Chi Minh City with Nhon Trach in Dong Nai City. The bridge is more than 3km long and has four traffic lanes and two emergency lanes. The main bridge features a cable-stayed structure, with a 300m main span and two towers standing about 155m high. Its vertical navigation clearance is 55m, among the highest in Viet Nam, allowing vessels of more than 30,000 tonnes to travel along the Long Tau River. Photo: Pham Tung

Ahead of the opening of the entire route, the installation of traffic signs and lane markings has largely been completed. Photo: Pham Tung

During the current phase of operation, vehicles traveling from Tay Ninh Province toward Dong Nai City will exit the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway at the National Highway 51 interchange and continue along National Highway 51. Photo: Pham Tung

The Tan Hiep interchange, which connects the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway with the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway, will not yet be put into operation from September 30 because the relevant procedures have not been completed. The interchange will be put into operation at a later date. Photo: Pham Tung

Construction of the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway began in October 2014. Twelve years later, the expressway linking Southeastern and Southwestern Viet Nam has been completed and is set to open to traffic along its entire length. Photo: Pham Tung

Earlier, in early 2025, the project's first two sections, with a combined length of nearly 10km, were put into temporary operation. One of these is the more than 6km section from the Phuoc An interchange to the National Highway 51 interchange in Dong Nai. Photo: Pham Tung

By Pham Tung – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho