Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway is overloaded
The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway is about 55km long and has been exploited in phase 1 since 2015 with a scale of 4 lanes. Up to now, after about 10 years, this expressway has played an important role in connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the provinces in the key economic region of the South, contributing to reducing the pressure on inner-city traffic of Ho Chi Minh City, National Highway 51, promoting the development of urban areas and industrial parks along the route.
However, due to the rapid increase in traffic volume, during rush hour and on weekends, especially during holidays and Tet, it has led to overload and local congestion at the first sections of the route, the section of Long Thanh bridge and the National Highway 51 intersection.
Not only during the holidays, Mr. Le Van Phu, a driver living in Ho Chi Minh City, said that if there is just one "incident" such as a traffic accident, a car stall, or a fire, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway will also be congested for a long time if not handled quickly.
Recently, in July 2025, when the construction unit repaired Long Thanh bridge, it also caused congestion on this expressway and National Highway 51 and National Highway 1.
According to the forecast, when Long Thanh airport phase 1 is expected to be put into operation in the first half of 2026, the congestion will become more serious if the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh section is not invested in and expanded soon.
Solving the situation of "one route carries the entire airport"
Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) has recommended that the Government, the Ministry of Construction and relevant ministries, branches and localities promote investment progress, complete early and synchronously transport projects connecting to Long Thanh airport, including:
The road system, especially the expressways (expanding Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh, Ben Luc - Long Thanh, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau), beltways (Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4) and bridges (Long Thanh 2, Cat Lai) to solve the situation of "one route carries the entire airport".
For the railway system, speed up research and investment in the construction of urban railway lines, Thu Thiem - Long Thanh light rail and the North-South high-speed railway, directly connecting from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh airport.
Public transport infrastructure and logistics, organizing express bus routes (BRT), shuttle buses; researching the construction of separate routes and cargo transport corridors, closed connections between Long Thanh airport - seaport system (Cai Mep - Thi Vai, Cat Lai) - industrial parks, logistics areas in Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City (including Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau old), to reduce traffic volume on the general road system, ensuring safety, smoothness and operational efficiency.
According to ACV, the goal is to shorten travel time between the center of Ho Chi Minh City and Long Thanh, while providing multi- pipeline, convenient connections for passengers and goods from localities in the Southeast, Southwest and South Central regions.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Hung - Deputy General Director of ACV, the early completion of the above-mentioned transportation projects will ensure synchronous infrastructure, smooth connection, improve exploitation capacity and competitiveness, helping Long Thanh airport promote its role as an international gateway and become a regional air routes center.
Starting construction of the project to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway section worth over VND 16,300 billion
On August 19, Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway expansion project.
The project to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway section passing through Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai has a total length of about 22 km, starting at the Ring Road 2 intersection, Ho Chi Minh City (Km4+000) and ending at the intersection with the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, Dong Nai province (Km25+920).
The total investment of the project is more than 16,300 billion VND. Of which, VND6,500 billion is state budget capital and more than VND9,800 billion is mobilized by VEC.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with Long Thanh bridge alone expected to be closed in December 2026 and the remaining items completed in the first quarter of 2027.
