5 expressways to take shape in southern Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City’s Transport Department has proposed the city administration allocates funding for the work of preparing, appraising, and deciding the investment policy for the HCMC – Moc Bai Expressway within this year.

The first phase of the expressway, estimated to cost VND15.9 trillion ($587 million), is set to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2025.

The entire route will run about 50 kilometers (31 miles), linking HCMC with the neighboring province of Tay Ninh that borders Cambodia, help complete the traffic network of Vietnam’s Southern Key Economic Zone, reduce overload on National Highway 22, and increase the capacity of the road connecting the city with Cambodia.

Also in the southeastern region, work on Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, which was approved 10 years ago, will soon start now the Ministry of Transport has sorted out its funding issue.

Stretching 53 kilometers, the route will connect the southern provinces of Dong Nai, an industrial hub, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, home to several seaport logistics complexes.

Costing VND17.84 trillion, the project is set to be completed within 2025 to ease overload on National Highway 51.

Traffic jam on National Highway 51 in Dong Nai Province, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan

The Transport Ministry early this month proposed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh approves Dau Giay – Tan Phu Expressway that stretches around 60 kilometers under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format.

Its first phase is expected to cost more than VND8.3 trillion to build four lanes stretching 17 meters wide for vehicles to move at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

As planned by the ministry, the process of choosing the investor and clearing the site for the project will last from now until 2023 and construction will be carried out between 2023 and 2025.

The expressway, which runs through Dong Nai Province, is part of Dau Giay – Lien Khuong Expressway that connects Dong Nai with Lam Dong, a Central Highlands province that is home to Da Lat resort town.

In the Mekong Delta, which is home to some 20 million people and contributes 18 percent to the nation’s economic growth, two projects will be executed.

Work on Cao Lanh – An Huu Expressway that stretches more than 27 kilometers to connect Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces will be started within this year for basic completion in 2025.

Costing more than VND6 trillion of the state budget, the route will have four lanes spanning 17 meters in its first phase before its width is expanded to 25 meters later.

The other project is Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang Expressway, which will run along the Hau River, a branch of the Mekong River, from Chau Doc Town in An Giang near the Cambodian border to coastal Soc Trang Town, passing through Can Tho and the provinces of Hau Giang and Soc Trang.

In the first phase, the expressway will be 17 meters wide before being widened to over 24 meters and allowing speed limits of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

Estimated to cost around VND30 trillion, it is set to break ground in 2023 and be completed in three years.

The project is considered a key piece to complete the transport network in the area and boost connectivity with Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries.