Traffic jams on Highway 22
National Highway 22 - the only route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Moc Bai international border gate (Tay Ninh), has long been a "hot spot" for traffic congestion. According to drivers, the section from An Suong roundabout through Tan Trung Chanh, Nguyen Anh Thu, Nguyen Van Bua intersections... or in the opposite direction from Trang Bang town to Ho Chi Minh City is always in a state of constant congestion.
Driver Nguyen Thanh Dat (45 years old, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: "Going from An Suong to Moc Bai border gate is only about 60km, but it takes 3-4 hours.
Currently, National Highway 22 has only two car lanes and one motorbike lane on each side, which is not enough to meet the increasing traffic demand between Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh. This is also the main route for international freight transport from Ho Chi Minh City through Cambodia and ASEAN countries.
The National Highway 22 expansion project has been restarted thanks to Resolution 98 of the National Assembly, allowing Ho Chi Minh City to apply the BOT model on existing roads. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport is preparing a pre-feasibility study report to implement the National Highway 22 expansion project.
According to the plan, the 8.7km section from An Suong intersection (District 12) to Ring Road 3 (Hoc Mon district) will be upgraded to 60m with 10 lanes and flyovers will be built at different intersections. The project has a total estimated investment of VND8,400 billion, aiming to complete the pre-feasibility report by the end of 2024 or early 2025, and will be implemented in the 2025-2028 period.
Construction of Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai Expressway to start in 2025
Along with National Highway 22, the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai Expressway is the most anticipated strategic transport project. The 51km expressway connects from Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 (Cu Chi District) to Ben Cau District (Tay Ninh). In the first phase, the expressway will be built with 4 lanes with a total estimated investment of over 19,600 billion VND.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has recently called for investment in the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai Expressway project. The main part of the project is the expressway, implemented under the BOT form, with a total investment capital of about 10,421 billion VND. Of which, the investor contributed 9,943 billion VND, accounting for 95.41% of the total capital, the remaining part is covered by the Ho Chi Minh City budget.
The other three components, including the construction of residential roads and overpasses (VND2,422 billion) and compensation and resettlement costs in Ho Chi Minh City (VND5,270 billion) and Tay Ninh (VND1,504 billion), will use public investment capital.
Mr. Luong Minh Phuc - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Project Management Board - said that in 2025, the focus will be on compensation, site clearance and investor selection. The project strives to start construction on April 30, 2025 and complete construction and open the entire route to traffic in 2027, synchronized with the Phnom Penh - Bavet (Cambodia) expressway under construction.
According to Mr. Phuc, when completed, the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai Expressway will help share traffic volume on National Highway 22, reduce time and increase the capacity of transporting goods and passengers to and from Ho Chi Minh City.
"The expressway also plays a strategic role, connecting with Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4 and the future Go Dau - Xa Mat expressway. When completed, the project will not only maximize the efficiency of the expressway network in the region but also create a breakthrough momentum for socio-economic development in the key economic region of the South," said Mr. Phuc.
