According to the Southern Expressway Project Management Board, on the Phuoc Khanh bridge construction site (belonging to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway), there are currently hundreds of engineers and workers clinging to construction continuously. To date, the total volume of works has reached about 96%.
In the cable-stay item, contractors are focusing maximum manpower and equipment to construct and stretch the last bundles of cables at the main pillars in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City. Along with that, the approach bridge pillars have completed the girder blocks. In the approach road area at both ends of the bridge, the work of asphalting the road surface, installing reinforced steel, pouring concrete for railings and lighting systems is in the basic completion phase. All resources are currently being maximized by units, aiming to officially close the main span of Phuoc Khanh bridge in May 2026.
Phuoc Khanh bridge spans the Long Tau River, connecting Binh Khanh commune (HCMC) with Dai Phuoc commune (Dong Nai). The bridge has a total length of 3,186 m, a width of nearly 22 m, a scale of 4 lanes, and a design speed of 100 km/h. The technical highlight of the project is the main span 300 m long with a navigation clearance of 55 m - the highest in Vietnam today.
This design ensures a safe corridor for ships with a tonnage of up to 30,000 tons to conveniently circulate into upstream port systems, especially the Cai Mep - Thi Vai international port cluster. The bridge pillars are also calculated to withstand impacts from ships over 20,000 tons.
Looking back at the implementation process, Phuoc Khanh bridge was officially started in July 2015. However, the project progress was interrupted for many years due to problems when belonging to the old J3 package. After Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) implemented the new J3-1 package (constructing the remaining part) in May 2023, the project accelerated again.
The Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway has a total length of nearly 58 km. Currently, the project has completed about 55 km, of which 30 km have been put into temporary operation. Phuoc Khanh Bridge is identified as the "key" to close the entire route. Ensuring the closing milestone in May 2026 will create a decisive premise to bring the project to traffic on the entire route in the third quarter of 2026.
This strategic transport corridor axis, when completed, will be directly interconnected with the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway, Ring Road 3 of Ho Chi Minh City and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, helping to reduce the load on the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City, shortening the time from the Mekong Delta provinces to Long Thanh International Airport, creating a breakthrough momentum for the entire Southern region.
