HCMC-Dong Nai expressway widening proposed at $434 mln

The Cuu Long Corporation for Investment Development and Project Management of Infrastructure has told the Ministry of Transport to widen the section from Ba Dat Bridge in HCMC’s District 2 to the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau highway in Dong Nai Province's Long Thanh District to eight lanes from the current four at a cost of nearly VND10 trillion ($434.8 million).

It cited congestion due to increasing traffic.

The section between the An Phu intersection and Ring Road 2 in HCMC is to be expanded by 10.5 m to 36 m.

The section from Ring Road 2 to the Tac River will be split into two, each 20 m wide, while the rest of the section to Long Thanh will be widened to 42.5 m.

Near the Long Thanh Bridge area, another bridge will be built 13 m away. Two others will be built between An Phu and Ring Road 2 and between the latter and Long Thanh.

Intersections where construction is ongoing should be integrated with the expressway upgrade work, according to the company.

"The Bien Hoa-Vung Tau highway intersection, if integrated with routes connecting with Long Thanh Airport, will help clear congestion on National Highway 51."

It wants the work funded by public money and ODA from Japan.

The 55-km expressway was used by 57,000 vehicles daily in 2019, often causing gridlock in certain sections since its designed capacity is around 44,000 vehicles.