Creating a new growth momentum

​ (CTT-Dong Nai) - On June 18, two vital transport infrastructure projects connecting the Southeast region, including Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway phase 1, has officially started construction. These are projects that are expected to help the region break through the traffic "bottlenecks" of connection, thereby, opening the lifeblood of development.

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​An illustration of Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City section going through the province

Unblocking the congestion
According to the original design, National Highway 51 has a capacity of serving about 12,000 vehicles per day and night. However, over the years, the average capacity of this route has tripled compared to the intended design. This is also the main reason why National Highway 51 becomes the "haunted experience" for people when traffic jams occur regularly.
Dong Nai is the locality with the number of industrial parks (IZs) in the "top" of the country. Meanwhile, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province owns one of the largest seaports in the country. Therefore, the traffic connection between the two provinces is almost entirely dependent on National Highway 51, making this route unable to meet all demand. In that context, the commencement of construction of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway phase 1 is considered as a breakthrough to break the "bottleneck" of traffic infrastructure not only between the two localities but also for the whole Southeast region.
Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Cao Tien Dung, assessed that Highway 51 has really become overloaded. Therefore, the implementation of investment in construction of Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway will help solve traffic demand. Especially when the project of Long Thanh International Airport (airport) phase 1 is completed and put into use.
Meanwhile, Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City is not only a meaningful route connecting the Southeast region, but also an important connecting traffic axis between the Southeast region and the Southwest region.
Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City will go through 4 provinces, including: Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Ho Chi Minh City.
Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Le Anh Tuan said that the completion of the Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City will improve the connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces, connecting satellite cities; expanding space for land fund development, commerce, services, industry, promoting socio-economic development for the Southern key economic region. At the same time, contributing to effectively solving traffic congestion in the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
Unleash potentials and advantages
Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Ho Chi Minh City are provinces with strong industrial production. The number of industrial zones in these localities is very large. Therefore, Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City will be a road carrying a "mission" to connect major industrial development centers of the Southeast and Southwest regions.
Along with that, Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City will also play an important role in connecting provinces that are expected to be planned to become the southern driving force, one of the four national dynamic zones.
Particularly for Dong Nai, Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City is an important "catalyst" for the development of Nhon Trach new urban area. After more than 20 years of construction, although it is considered to have many development advantages, it is difficult to connect to external traffic, especially traffic back and forth from Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces in the Key Economic Zone. Up to now, Nhon Trach new urban area has not met the criteria of a grade II city.
Therefore, Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City is expected to form a new connecting point between Nhon Trach and Ho Chi Minh City and provinces in the Southern Key Economic Zone; creating great conditions for the development and turning Nhon Trach into a grade II city.

With the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway, the expected completion time is also the time when Long Thanh Airport Phase 1 is expected to be put into operation. Therefore, this is considered the "lifeline" traffic axis connecting Long Thanh Airport, the largest airport in the country with the "super" Cai Mep - Thi Vai seaport.
According to Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoang, the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway is an important project to create openness in the connection between the two provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. With this connection, the efficiency of the new airport and seaport will be promoted and will certainly create a driving force for the development of the Southern Key Economic Zone.
Not only playing the role of traffic connection, promoting socio-economic development, the Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway projects will also open up new development spaces for each local as well as for the whole Southeast region.

In the planning of Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City, up to now, Binh Duong is the first province that has completed construction of more than 15km of highway. According to Mr. Vo Van Minh, Chairman of Binh Duong Provincial People's Committee, due to the investment to develop faster than neighboring provinces, the industrial urban area has filled up to the Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City.
For Dong Nai province, the Provincial People's Committee has also assigned functional agencies and local administrations to urgently study and build a new socio-economic spatial development plan associated with traffic infrastructures, including the following Beltway 3 – Ho Chi Minh City and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway projects. ​