10-lane expressway linking HCMC and Long Thanh airport takes shape after one year

A major expressway linking Ho Chi Minh City and Long Thanh airport is being expanded to 10 lanes, with major sections nearing completion after a year. The Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh Expressway is gradually taking shape. Asphalt paving has been completed along several sections, nearly a year after construction began. The expansion project broke ground in August 2025 at a total cost of VND16.3 trillion (US$620 million). Spanning 22 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City's Ring Road 2 interchange to the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway interchange, the project is designed to create a vital link between the city center and Long Thanh Airport. The newly expanded route is scheduled to open by the end of this year. In this photo, Long Thanh 2 Bridge, the project's largest and most crucial component, has largely completed its piers and is preparing for girder installation. This area is highly prone to congestion due to the bridge's steep approach and has long been considered a major bottleneck on the expressway. At the construction site, numerous bridge piers have risen from the Dong Nai River alongside the existing bridge. The new structure will measure approximately 2.3 km long and 23.75 m wide. It will feature five lanes, including a dedicated emergency stopping lane. Once finished, the bridge is expected to ease congestion on the vital expressway linking Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh Airport. On the elevated section leading to the Long Thanh 2 Bridge in Dong Nai City, contractors have completed the piers and installed the girders. The team is now preparing for the next phase of asphalt paving. The main bridge is scheduled to be joined by the end of this year, with full completion expected in the first quarter of 2027. About 1.5 km away, work is underway on the Tac River Bridge in Long Truong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, another major component of the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway. Contractors are utilizing barges and specialized heavy machinery to construct the bridge piers in the riverbed. The expressway is being expanded to 10 lanes in both directions to align with the broader infrastructure upgrade connecting the route directly to Long Thanh Airport, which is set to open at the end of this year as the largest in Vietnam. At the intersection with Vo Chi Cong Street, a key segment of Ring Road 2, contractors have installed girders on nearly all of the bridge piers. This vital interchange serves as one of the primary gateways to eastern Ho Chi Minh City. Due to its strategic location, the area regularly experiences heavy traffic, particularly during major public holidays and the Lunar New Year. Construction crews and heavy machinery are currently busy working on the approach roads. Ongoing operations include installing bridge girders, compacting the roadbed, and building the necessary drainage systems. Simultaneously, numerous piers are being constructed for the Kenh Muong and Do Xuan Hop bridges. Girders have already been successfully installed along several sections of these new structures. The project also connects to the An Phu Interchange. At this vital junction, the expressway meets major thoroughfares, including Mai Chi Tho, Luong Dinh Cua, and Dong Van Cong streets, alongside the primary route to Cat Lai Port. Once the An Phu Interchange is completed alongside the broader expressway expansion, the upgraded infrastructure is expected to significantly ease congestion at Ho Chi Minh City's eastern gateway. The project will improve traffic connections to Long Thanh Airport and the neighboring southeastern provinces. In Dong Nai City, several sections of the expanded expressway pass through the Long Thanh and Nhon Trach wards. In these areas, contractors are building up the roadbed, laying aggregate, and paving asphalt. The section pictured is near Interchange 319. The project ends at the interchange with the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway and the T2 Road leading into Long Thanh Airport. At this final point, a roughly 300-meter elevated section running parallel to the existing Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh Expressway has already had its girders installed. This segment is on track to be fully completed by the end of this year. The Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway is 55 km long and runs through Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai. The first phase opened in 2015 at a total cost of VND20.6 trillion (US$783 million). After 10 years in operation, the expressway has frequently suffered congestion, particularly on weekends and during holidays and the Lunar New Year. Expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh Expressway. Graphic by Hoang Thanh