Vietnam's most modern expressway opens to traffic along its entire length.

On the morning of February 8th, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced the opening of the entire 55km Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway. The route will help reduce traffic congestion and improve connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the Southeast and Central Highlands regions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway is a large-scale project with a capital investment of up to 1 billion USD, designed to modern standards and assessed by the National Acceptance Council as the best quality expressway ever built.

"This is a very significant route for socio-economic development, job creation, improving people's lives, and also plays a crucial role in ensuring national security and defense for the region and the country," the Prime Minister said, adding that including this 55 km, Vietnam has now built 580 km of expressways. By the end of the year, when the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway and the Lao Cai-Dongxing border gate (China) section are completed, the total will reach 700 km.

The head of government also commended the efforts of the ministries, agencies, and the two provinces and cities involved in completing and putting the project into operation one year ahead of schedule. He noted that the investor, Vietnam Expressway Investment and Development Corporation (VEC), should continue to complete the remaining work of the project to achieve a synchronized and modern infrastructure.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, former Vice President Truong My Hoa, and Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang cut the ribbon to inaugurate the project.

"Investing in modern socio-economic infrastructure is a breakthrough of paramount importance in the country's development because development is impossible without infrastructure. Among these, three key road axes are crucial for the country's development: National Highway 1, the Ho Chi Minh Highway, and the North-South Expressway," Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated, requesting that the upgrading and expansion of National Highway 1 from Lang Son to Ca Mau be completed in 2015. Simultaneously, he called for the completion and connection of several important sections and routes belonging to phase 2 of the Ho Chi Minh Highway, especially the section through the Central Highlands.

According to VEC, after the entire expressway is put into operation, the distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau will be reduced to 95 km, taking approximately one hour and 20 minutes, instead of 120 km and 2 hours and 30 minutes as before. Similarly, the distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Dau Giay Junction (National Highway 1 and towards Lien Khuong) will be reduced to 50 km, taking one hour, instead of 70 km and up to 3 hours due to frequent traffic congestion.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, now fully open to traffic, helps reduce congestion and improve connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the Southeast and Central Highlands regions. Photo: HP

Construction began in 2009 with a capital investment of VND 20,630 billion. The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway project is 55 km long, passing through Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province, and is divided into two sections. The first section, from the An Phu interchange to Long Thanh - Dong Nai, is 23.9 km long and passes through Districts 2 and 9 (Ho Chi Minh City); and Nhon Trach and Long Thanh districts (Dong Nai). The remaining section, from Long Thanh to Dau Giay, is 31.1 km long and passes through Long Thanh, Cam My, and Thong Nhat districts in Dong Nai province. The project is part of the North-South expressway system, located within the key economic triangle of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

To carry out this project, over 437 hectares of land were cleared and compensation was paid to 1,990 affected households, and many public facilities had to be relocated. The project required the construction of many components on complex geological and hydrological conditions, with a large volume of work including 32 bridges (with a total length of 17.5 km). In particular, the Long Thanh Bridge over the Dong Nai River, 2.35 km long, features a balanced cantilever box girder structure and a navigable clearance of 30.5m, making it one of the largest in Vietnam.

According to VnExpress