Expansion proposed for HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway

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Widening from 4 to 8 lanes

Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway was officially operated on the whole route in 2015. Since being put into operation, the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay highway has helped connect the traffic and economy of the western, southeastern provinces, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Highlands. Specifically, when the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway exists, the distance and travel time between Ho Chi Minh City to Dau Giay is withdrawn from 3 hours to 1 hour; from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet, only 3 hours instead of 5 hours as before; From Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau only 1.5 hours, 1 hour faster than before.

However, after 5 years of operation, this expressway is currently under overload. According to the Vietnam Expressway Development and Investment Corporation (VEC), in 2015, which is the first year of operation, Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway served nearly 10 million vehicles. However, by 2019, the number of vehicles traveling on the route has reached about 16.5 million. Thus, the average traffic growth of this highway reaches about 10%/year. Currently, on the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, traffic jams often occur, especially the section from Highway 51 to Ho Chi Minh City. Traffic congestion is most serious on holidays and New Year when the number of vehicles increases sharply.

From this fact, the authority of Dong Nai Province has sought approval from the Prime Minister for an investment plan to widen the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway from 4 lanes to 10-12 lanes according to the plan has been approved before.

Recently, the Cuu Long Corporation For Investment, Development Anh Project Management Of Infrastructure (Cuu Long CIPM), the unit assigned by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to carry out a study to adjust the planning of the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway has proposed the scale and time to expand this expressway.

According to Cuu Long CIPM, ased on preliminary vehicle traffic data at Long Phuoc toll station in 2017, the Consultant - South Transport Engineering Design Joint Stock Incorporated, has made forecasts of the number of lanes for the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway in the coming years. From this prediction, Cuu Long CIPM has proposed an expansion plan for this expressway.

Specifically, the section from An Phu intersection (District 2, Ho Chi Minh City) to Long Thanh (24km long) will be invested to expand the scale from the current 4 lanes to 8 lanes from 2025. Particularly, the section from Long Thanh to Dau Giay will maintain the current 4-lane scale and this scale probably meet traffic demand until 2040.

After 2040, the section from An Phu intersection to Long Thanh should be invested to expand to 10 lanes.

According to Mr. Tran Van Thi, General Director of Cuu Long CIPM, expansion plan for HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway was proposed on the basis of combination of the Long Thanh Airport investment scenario and the routes in the area according to the approved related planning, including: Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway; Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway; Ring Road 3 (section Tan Van - Nhon Trach); Cat Lai bridge, 25C Road and railway lines, etc.

Proposal of public investment capital

In order to expand the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, Cuu Long CIPM also proposed the capital plan and the investment form.

According to CIPM Cuu Long estimates, to serve immediate needs is to expand the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, the section from An Phu to Long Thanh intersection from 4 to 8 lanes will need a total investment of over VND 9.8 trillion.

Regarding investment capital, CIPM Cuu Long proposed that the expansion of the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway will be implemented through public investment of domestic capital or ODA (JICA) of Japan. In early May, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism – Japan, also sent a letter of concern to the project to expand the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway to the Ministry of Transport.

As for the land fund serving the expansion of HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, both Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City meet the demand.

Mr. Tu Nam Thanh, Director of the Department of Transport and Communications, said that for the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, which passes through Dong Nai province, has been planned by the locality with a building line’s width of 120m, ensuring for needs to expand in the future.

Similarly, according to the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City, the land fund to serve the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway is also sufficient to plan 10 lanes.

By Nam Vu