After 12 years of construction with many delays, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway project, 58km long, with a total investment of 31,300 billion VND, is expected to open the entire route in September. The project plays a strategic role in connecting the East and Southwest regions, helping to connect the Mekong Delta with Long Thanh airport and reduce traffic pressure for the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City.
Started in 2014 with the goal of completion after 5 years, the project was once temporarily suspended when it reached 80% of the volume due to problems with investment policy and capital sources. Up to now, according to Mr. Dang Huu Vi, Deputy Director of the Southern Expressway Project Management Board (SEPMU) under Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), the construction output of construction packages has reached about 99% of the contract value. Nearly 55km of the total length of the route has been completed.
At My Yen intersection (Tay Ninh), the starting point of the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway connects to the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway and Ring Road 3. Currently, some branches in this area have been put into operation since the beginning of the year. The expressway is designed with 4 lanes, 2 emergency stop lanes, and a maximum speed of 100 km/h.
Currently, the project only has two packages being focused on completion, including package J3-1 (Phuoc Khanh bridge) and package XL-NG51 (National Highway 51 intersection). In which, Phuoc Khanh bridge, 3.1km long across the Long Tau River, has just been joined and is being urgently completed to be put into operation in September 2026. Previously, Binh Khanh cable-stayed bridge, 2.76km long across the Soai Rap River, was completed but could not be put into use due to waiting for synchronous connection.
Regarding the operation situation, there are currently nearly 30km of expressway that have allowed temporary traffic, including the section from the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway intersection to Nguyen Van Tao intersection, about 22km long (through Tay Ninh province, Ho Chi Minh City) and the section from Phuoc An intersection to National Highway 51, about 7 km long (belonging to Dong Nai City). The remaining about 25 km, although basically completed, cannot be opened to traffic due to the lack of important connections at both ends of the route as well as the unfinished section between Binh Khanh and Phuoc Khanh bridges.
When officially put into operation, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway through the My Yen intersection, National Highway 50, Nguyen Van Tao, Phuoc An and National Highway 51 will connect with the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway, Ring Road 3, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway and major port clusters. The route forms a new traffic direction directly to Long Thanh airport, shortening travel time from the Mekong Delta provinces to Dong Nai City and significantly relieving traffic flow into the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
