The government office announced a conclusion in mid-February following Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s on-site visits to key transport projects during the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, ordering the urgent completion of roads linking the mammoth Long Thanh international airport project in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, the prime minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to oversee the coordination of relevant agencies to accelerate work on road networks, including Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway, Ring Roads 3 and 4 in Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, and the expansion of Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway.

These roads are set to meet the transport demand when Long Thanh International Airport is put into operation.

Regarding the expanded Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway project, the prime minister tasked relevant ministries with urgently allocating central budget funds and other legal financial sources, while considering simplifying relevant procedures to begin construction and synchronize the project with the airport’s opening.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, in coordination with relevant ministries, was also assigned to explore special investment mechanisms for a subway line connecting Tan Son Nhat International Airport with Long Thanh International Airport.

The Ministry of Transport was tasked with joining hands with the administrations of Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provinces to study the solutions to upgrading National Highway 51 into an urban expressway in a bid to improve traffic capacity, and reduce congestion and traffic accidents.

Delays in Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway

The Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway project has encountered delays, particularly in the area of Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, due to weak construction management and slow land handover processes.

The leadership of Bien Hoa City has formed several task forces to encourage affected residents to quickly hand over land for construction. 

Over 300 cases of land handover have been completed recently, helping accelerate progress.

The local authorities have also urged contractors to mobilize machinery and workers to assist residents with dismantling structures and to start construction in areas where land has already been handed over.

As for a section in Long Thanh District, the investor of the subproject, also reported delays in construction, attributing them to a lack of fill materials, slow relocation of technical infrastructure, and some contractors failing to focus on the project.

The investor proposed the Ministry of Transport work with the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee to facilitate the relocation of these infrastructure components and resolve issues related to mining permits to ensure a steady supply of fill material to allow construction to proceed.

Expansion of key expressways

For the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway expansion project, the Project Management Unit 7 under the Ministry of Transport is making a pre-feasibility report for the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh section. 

The unit was urged to finalize the report to meet quality and timeline requirements, while also addressing any challenges encountered during implementation.

The state-owned Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) had previously proposed expanding the 22-kilometer Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh stretch from eight to 10 lanes. 

The total investment for the project is estimated at approximately VND15.7 trillion ($614 million).

The route, if completed in time, will alleviate traffic congestion on the road to Long Thanh International Airport once it opens.

Meanwhile, the 58-kilometer Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, which will connect the Mekong Delta region to Long Thanh International Airport and Vung Tau City, is expected to be lengthened by an additional 32.9 kilometers in the east and west sections by April 30.

The first phase of the Long Thanh International Airport project is estimated to cost VND110 trillion ($4.3 billion).

The entire project, spanning 5,000 hectares, is projected to require an investment of VND336.63 trillion ($13.3 billion).

Once completed, the airport will be Vietnam’s largest, capable of handling 100 million passengers and five million metric tons of cargo annually.

Launched in early 2021, the first phase encompasses four components: headquarters for management agencies, an air traffic control tower, the passenger terminal and runways, and 17 ground service facilities.

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