The Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway is of great importance as it will connect the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway, the Ben Luc (Long An) – Long Thanh expressway (currently under construction), and the roads leading to the Long Thanh airport. This project will maximize the potential of the Cai Mep – Thi Vai seaport and the Long Thanh international airport, promoting the socio-economic development of Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces, as well as the whole Southeast region.
The construction of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway started on June 18th, 2023. The total length of the expressway is 53.7 km (34.2 km in Dong Nai province and 19.5 km in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province), with a designed speed of 100 km/h. The cross-sectional scale of the first phase ranges from 4 to 6 lanes per section, and the completed expansion phase ensures a scale of 6 to 8 lanes.
Once completed, the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria – Vung Tau will be reduced to about 70 minutes instead of the current 150 minutes with frequent traffic congestion.
Illustration of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway. Photo: Internet
To implement the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway, Dong Nai province has to revoke more than 290 hectares of land from about 3,500 households, with about 1,800 households needing resettlement arrangements. The total investment capital of the project is nearly 18,000 billion VND, including 3 component projects. The project will be implemented from 2022, basically completed in 2025, and put into operation from 2026.
According to the report from the Ministry of Transport and localities, component project 1 has 2 construction packages and is currently preparing and implementing on-site construction. Component project 1 is 16 km long and is managed by the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, with a total investment capital of 6,012 billion VND.
Component project 2 has 2 construction packages and is currently implementing the construction of a number of leveled areas (with an achieved output of about 3%). Component project 2 is more than 18 km long and is managed by the Ministry of Transport, with a total investment capital of 6,852 billion VND.
Component project 3 is about 19.5 km long and is managed by the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Provincial People’s Committee. It has one construction package, with a total investment capital of 4,964 billion VND. The project is currently being implemented and has achieved a very good progress, with the achieved output reaching about 12%.
Engineer Duong Hong Quan, the site commander of Son Hai Group – one of the 3 joint venture contractors, said that the 3 contractors have mobilized about 300 personnel and nearly 100 mechanical vehicles to work 24/24h.
“This is a favorable dry season for construction, so we are trying to accelerate the progress to make up for the rainy season,” Quan said.
According to information from Bao Ba Ria – Vung Tau newspaper, the progress of land clearance of component project 3 of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway phase 1 has reached nearly 96%.
Currently, all 3 joint venture contractors are simultaneously implementing construction with 15 construction sites, and the total construction value of the project has reached 12%.
The project’s progress is exceeding the plan by 2%, and it is guaranteed to be completed before September 30th, 2025, which is 3 months earlier than the planned deadline stated in Resolution 90/NQ-CP of the Government.
Meanwhile, component projects 1 and 2 have very limited land handover areas, which cannot ensure simultaneous construction of the projects. Component project 1 has only handed over 5% of the land, and component project 2 has handed over nearly 20%.
In light of this situation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Electricity Corporation to send working teams with capable officials to directly support Dong Nai in land clearance tasks, relocation of power facilities, etc. to complete the land handover before June 30th, 2024. The Prime Minister also urged to strive for the opening of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway in 2025.
