Expanding the highway, escaping traffic jams, passengers have enough time to check in for aviation procedures
In phase 1, Long Thanh airport is expected to welcome 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo/year, of which about 70-85% are international flights and mainly to/from Ho Chi Minh City.
However, currently, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway (the main traffic route from Long Thanh Airport to Ho Chi Minh City) is often congested and overloaded, especially during holidays and Tet. The authorities often have to remotely regulate and turn off this expressway at the intersection with National Highway 51.
Most recently, on 7.4, after people returned to Ho Chi Minh City after the death anniversary of Hung Vuong's death, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway became overloaded and congested for several kilometers. Due to the number of vehicles from Highway 51 to the East Expressway, the traffic police force had to close the intersection, not allowed the car from Highway 51 to turn into the highway, guide the car to go straight to Highway 51 in the direction of Bien Hoa City to return to Ho Chi Minh City or to 319 road to the highway in Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay in Nhon Trach district.
Not only during the holidays, Mr. Le Van Phu, a driver living in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, said that just one "incident" such as: traffic accident, engine failure, or fire, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway will also be congested for a long time if not handled quickly.
According to the Long Thanh Airport Project Management Board, in addition to the progress of the airport project to basically complete construction by December 31, 2025, it is also necessary to expand the main traffic connections from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh Airport as soon as possible, especially the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway.
Currently, the traffic density on this expressway is quite dense, so it is necessary to expand soon to ensure convenient time for passengers from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh airport to carry out aviation procedures, a representative of the Long Thanh Airport Project Management Board shared.
5 roads, 3 railways connecting Long Thanh airport
According to the plan, the system of connecting to/from Long Thanh airport by 2 methods is road and rail, including 5 routes and 3 railways.
Road traffic routes include: Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway (3 projects are under development, expected to be completed in 2025-2026), Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway (currently operating 4 expressway lanes, expected to be expanded to 8-10 lanes), Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4 (submitted to investment policy).
Regarding railways, including the North-South high-speed railway line from Thu Thiem station to Long Thanh (the National Assembly has just approved the investment policy, expected to start construction in 2027, completed in 2035); the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh light rail line is expected to be submitted to competent authorities in 2025; the urban railway (HCMC is submitting to competent authorities a project to mobilize investment resources to synchronize urban railway lines, including this route).
In the progress of Long Thanh Airport Project, the Prime Minister also recalled the goal at the latest up to 31.12.2025 must basically complete Long Thanh airport. At the same time, after the airport, the connected transport projects must be done.
Urgently propose an investment plan to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway
On April 9, the Government Office issued a document on the implementation of the project to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway section.
Document stated: Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway Project is invested by Vietnam Expressway Development Corporation (VEC) and is organizing toll collection. In order to ensure the investment expansion of Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh highway is favorable, implementing the direction of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha assigns the Ministry of Construction to preside and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to urgently propose investment plans to expand the above route (including specific mechanisms, especially in accordance with the law on public investment, construction, bidding and state budget in the future) The road is widely mentioned above in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Public Investment in 2024, ensuring the completion of the project in 2026, reporting the Government to the Government before April 15, 2025.
