The Power of the Highway

Boosting Socio-Economic Development

The Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway, with a total length of 99 km, connects the provinces of Binh Thuan and Dong Nai, traversing the districts of Ham Thuan Nam, Ham Tan in Binh Thuan, and Xuan Loc, Cam My, Thong Nhat, and Long Khanh town in Dong Nai. Construction began in late September 2020, with a total investment of over VND 12,500 billion. The highway features six lanes and was completed and opened to traffic in late April 2023. According to Mr. Dang Hung Thai, Director of the Project Management Unit of the Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway, the highway has reduced travel time between Ho Chi Minh City and Phan Thiet and vice versa by 50% (now taking just over 2 hours).

Mr. Nguyen Minh, Vice Chairman of the Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee, shared that in 2023, two expressways, Phan Thiet- Dau Giay and Vinh Hao- Phan Thiet, became operational, positively impacting the socio-economic development of the region. With its strategic location as the gateway to the key economic region of Central Vietnam and its proximity to a population of over 20 million in provinces like Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria- Vung Tau, the North-South expressway traversing the area will create a dynamic market. Specifically for Binh Thuan, the Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway connects with the Ho Chi Minh City- Long Thanh- Dau Giay Expressway, providing an opportunity for the province to access the vast Ho Chi Minh City market and attract investors interested in developing the local service, trade, tourism, and real estate sectors.

Recognizing the opportunities presented by the expressway, Binh Thuan has proactively prepared by re-planning its coastal area to facilitate more systematic development. The province is investing approximately VND 600 billion to upgrade and expand the 719 coastal road, running parallel to the 719B road from Phan Thiet city to Ke Ga, while also promoting attractive tourism types such as beach sports tourism, MICE tourism, health care tourism, and beach sports.

The opening of the Phan Thiet- Dau Giay and Vinh Hao- Phan Thiet expressways has spurred remarkable growth in Binh Thuan’s tourism industry. In 2023, for the first time, the province welcomed over 8.5 million tourists, with tourism revenue surpassing VND 23,000 billion, nearly doubling that of 2022. Binh Thuan is now among the top nine provinces in the country in tourism revenue. In the first six months of this year, the province received 4,585,000 visitors, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year, while tourism revenue exceeded VND 11,832 billion, up by 4.3% year-on-year. The transportation sector also witnessed a boost, serving 7.8 million passengers (a nearly 20% increase compared to the same period) and generating revenue of over VND 735 billion (a 15% increase compared to 2023).

As one of the localities benefiting from the Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway, Ms. Nguyen Thi Cat Tien, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Xuan Loc district (Dong Nai), shared that the project has not only helped alleviate traffic congestion on National Highway 1A but also serves as an important external transport route for the locality. Riding the wave of the expressway, Xuan Loc district has included in its land-use planning the areas of Nui Le and Gia Ui lakes to invite investment in tourism and eco-resort projects. The district has also proposed to the People’s Committee of Dong Nai province to update the regional planning to include the Eco-tourism and Resort Complex project in the Chua Chan mountain area and is calling for investment in the infrastructure of industrial projects, including the expansion of Xuan Loc Industrial Park (166 ha) and Xuan Hung Industrial Cluster (63 ha)…

Unlocking Numerous Development Opportunities

The positive impact of the Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway has heightened the anticipation of the people of Dong Nai and Ba Ria- Vung Tau provinces for the completion of the Bien Hoa- Vung Tau Expressway, Phase 1. National Highway 51, which passes through Dong Nai province, is the only route from Dong Nai to Ba Ria- Vung Tau and frequently experiences traffic congestion. The most critical bottlenecks are at the intersection of National Highway 51 and Ngo Quyen Street (Bien Hoa city), Intersection 25B, and the intersection with the Ho Chi Minh City- Long Thanh- Dau Giay Expressway.

The Bien Hoa- Vung Tau Expressway project has a total length of 53.7 km (34.2 km in Dong Nai province and 19.5 km in Ba Ria- Vung Tau province) and is designed as a six-lane expressway with a speed limit of 100 km/h. The project is divided into three components: Phase 1, with four to six lanes, and the completed phase, with six to eight lanes. The total investment for the project is nearly VND 18,000 billion, comprising three sub-projects. The first component is 16 km long, with the People’s Committee of Dong Nai province as the managing authority and a total investment of VND 6,012 billion. The second component is over 18 km long, managed by the Ministry of Transport, with a total investment of VND 6,852 billion. The third component is approximately 19.5 km long, managed by the People’s Committee of Ba Ria- Vung Tau province, with a total investment of VND 4,964 billion.

“The Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway opens up investment opportunities in the South-Central region, alleviating traffic congestion and reducing accidents on National Highway 1. It also meets the demand for passenger and cargo transportation between the central hub of the Southern Key Economic Region and the Southeast region and the South-Central coastal region…”

Mr. Dang Hung Thai, Director of the Project Management Unit of the Phan Thiet- Dau Giay Highway

Construction of the expressway began on June 18, 2023, and is expected to be completed and opened to traffic in 2026. Once finished, the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria- Vung Tau is expected to be reduced to about 70 minutes, compared to 150 minutes currently. The project will connect the Ho Chi Minh City- Long Thanh- Dau Giay Expressway, the Ben Luc- Long Thanh Expressway (under construction), and the roads leading to Long Thanh International Airport, forming a vital transport corridor that will alleviate traffic congestion on National Highway 51. The tourism industry, a stronghold of Ba Ria- Vung Tau province, is expected to undergo a significant transformation.

More importantly, the Bien Hoa- Vung Tau Expressway will directly connect to the Cai Mep- Thi Vai port cluster, Long Thanh International Airport, and the Southern Key Economic Region. It will improve inter-regional connectivity, facilitate the import and export of goods, and reduce costs for businesses.