2024 is a pivotal year for Long An Province in soutnern Vietnam to focus on speeding up and making breakthroughs on three key traffic infrastructure projects, said director of the provincial Department of Transport Dang Hoang Tuan.

Promptly building new infrastructure

The first major traffic infrastructure project completed is a beltway in Tan An City, the provincial capital.

By the end of last year, the province inaugurated the first phase, opening 23 kilometers of roadway, including five four-lane bridges.

According to Dang Hoang Tuan, the project is now undergoing final settlement procedures. With a total investment of over VND3.1 trillion (US$122.2 million), the project has transformed the southwestern region of Tan An.

It has alleviated congestion on National Highway 1 and National Highway 62, while improving connectivity between Tan An City, neighboring Tien Giang Province, and other southwestern provinces.

The second project is the under-construction Provincial Road 830E, which is connected with Provincial Road 830 and National Highway 1.

This project plays a crucial role in reducing traffic congestion in the center of Ben Luc Town, located in the namesake district.

It will also connect to Ho Chi Minh City's Beltway No. 4, serving as a vital link between industrial parks, clusters, and districts in eastern Long An, which borders Ho Chi Minh City.

The project enhances connectivity to Hiep Phuoc Port in Ho Chi Minh City and Long An International Port in the eponymous province, further boosting the region's logistics and trade capabilities.

The first phase of the project is underway, with 9.4 kilometers of two-lane parallel roads being developed in Ben Luc and Can Duoc Districts.

Site clearance efforts are progressing, with compensation provided for 787 of the 878 affected households in Ben Luc.

In Can Duoc, the Long An People’s Committee has approved the construction of a section connecting National Highway 1 to a road leading to Provincial Road 830.

The third key project is Provincial Road 827E, a 35.6-kilometer route linking the Can Giuoc River -- a natural boundary between Ho Chi Minh City and Long An -- in Long Hau Commune, Can Giuoc District to the border with Tien Giang Province in Hiep Thanh Commune, Chau Thanh District, Long An Province.

Once completed, the six-lane Provincial Road 827E will serve as a critical corridor, enhancing connectivity between the southeastern and southwestern regions.

In 2024, the Long An Department of Transport has proposed that the provincial People’s Committee finalize procedures and seek the prime minister’s approval for the project.

Provincial Road 827E will feature three key bridges spanning the Can Giuoc, Vam Co Dong, and Vam Co Tay Rivers, with a total estimated investment of over VND4.797 trillion ($189 million). The funding is planned to come from ODA loans and matching capital sources.

The provincial authorities have approved the construction of access roads to these bridges and are in the process of obtaining approval for an environmental impact assessment report from relevant agencies.

Meanwhile, the pre-feasibility study for site clearance related to the bridges and their connecting roads is currently underway.

Many highly-anticipated projects near completion

One of the highly-anticipated projects in 2024 is Beltway No. 3, which connects Ho Chi Minh City and three neighboring provinces, including Long An.

Work on a 6.8-kilometer section of the Long An beltway began in June 2023, with a total investment of VND4.208 trillion ($165.7 million). This includes VND3.04 trillion ($119.8 million) allocated for construction and VND1.168 trillion ($46 million) for site clearance, compensation, and resettlement.

According to Dang Hoang Tuan, the project is now 51 percent complete, with no major obstacles. It is on track to be finished and open to traffic by December 31, 2025, adhering to the timeline set by the national government.

Project updates include package XL1 to construct the main expressway being 41 percent complete, package XL2 to build the Tan Buu Bridge on the main expressway and a parallel road on the left of the expressway being 50.1 percent complete, and package XL3 to develop an intersection at the end of the route being 51.57 percent complete.

Procedures are being completed for two other packages to build branches, traffic safety facilities, lighting systems, and fences.

The intersection at the end of the route that connects to the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway will be opened to traffic at the end of October next year.

Regarding the compensation and site clearance for a Beltway No. 3 section passing through Long An, Tuan reported that a resettlement area, whose construction started in mid-June 2024, requires an investment of over VND90 billion ($3.5 million) and spans 3.5 hectares in Tan Buu Commune.

Leveling work is now at 99 percent and roads leading to the resettlement area are 90 percent complete. The resettlement area will be handed over to the affected households this year, the official confirmed.

Another large project is a section of Ho Chi Minh City’s Beltway No. 4 passing through Long An. The consulting unit has completed the pre-feasibility report for the project.

The national government has asked the administration in Ho Chi Minh City to submit the report.

Provincial Road 823D is another highly-anticipated project. The 14.2-kilometer road was envisaged to begin at an intersection in the northwestern region of Ho Chi Minh City and end at the intersection of National Highway N2 and Ho Chi Minh Road.

It will have four lanes stretching a width of 14 meters and two parallel lanes measuring seven meters. Contractors are leveling the site, installing the wastewater drainage system and median strips, and constructing the Kenh Ranh and Lang Ven Bridges.

The government in Long An Province has worked with Ho Chi Minh City authorities, urging them to complete the new road in its northwestern region and connect it with Provincial Road 823D.

Tuan reported that the department has disbursed 80 percent of the public investment, amounting to over VND1.919 trillion ($75.6 million), this year.

To ensure the quality of ongoing projects, the department has continuously worked to improve all phases, from design and preparation to construction. It has also reviewed legal documents related to the management of quality, progress, and costs for traffic infrastructure projects.

In 2025, the department plans to continue monitoring and pushing forward the execution of traffic infrastructure projects, with a focus on projects facing site clearance challenges to help accelerate their completion.

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