The Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway has significant importance, as it will connect the highways Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay, Bến Lức – Long Thành (currently under construction), and the roads leading to Long Thành Airport. This project will maximize the potential of Cai Mep – Thi Vai seaport and Long Thanh International Airport, fostering socio-economic development of Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces and the entire Southeast region.
The construction of the expressway commenced on June 18, 2023. The Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway 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 high-speed road with a speed limit of 100 km/h. In the first phase, the expressway will have 4-6 lanes, and in the completed phase, it will have 6-8 lanes.
Upon completion, the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria – Vung Tau will be reduced to approximately 70 minutes, compared to the current 150 minutes with frequent traffic congestion.
Rendering of Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway. Photo: Internet
In order to implement the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway, Dong Nai province needs to recover over 290 hectares of land from approximately 3,500 households, with around 1,800 households requiring resettlement. The total investment for the project is nearly 18,000 billion VND, including 3 component projects. The project will be implemented from 2022, with completion scheduled for 2025 and opening for traffic in 2026.
According to reports from the Ministry of Transport and local authorities, Component Project 1 has 2 construction packages and is currently in the preparation and deployment phase. Component Project 1 has a length of 16 km, with the People’s Committee of Dong Nai province as the governing agency and a total investment of 6,012 billion VND.
Component Project 2 also has 2 construction packages and is currently implementing the construction of certain sections with land clearance (3% completion). Component Project 2 has a length of over 18 km, with the Ministry of Transport as the governing agency and a total investment of 6,852 billion VND.
Component Project 3 has a length of approximately 19.5 km, with the People’s Committee of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province as the governing agency and one construction package. The total investment for Component Project 3 is 4,964 billion VND, and the construction is progressing well, with 12% completion.
Engineer Duong Hong Quan, Chief Site Supervisor of Son Hai Group – 1 in 3 joint venture contractors, stated that the 3 contractors have mobilized around 300 personnel and nearly 100 construction vehicles for 24/24h operation.
“The dry season is favorable for construction, so we are pushing to accelerate the progress to make up for any delays during the rainy season,” Mr. Quan said.
According to information from Ba Ria – Vung Tau newspaper, the progress of land clearance for Component Project 3 of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway Phase 1 has reached nearly 96%.
Currently, all 3 joint venture contractors on the entire route are simultaneously implementing construction with 15 active construction sites, and the cumulative value of the project’s construction has reached 12%.
The project’s progress exceeds 2% compared to the plan, ensuring completion before September 30, 2025, and is expected to be completed 3 months ahead of the schedule assigned in Government Resolution 90/NQ-CP.
Meanwhile, Component Project 1 and 2 have limited land handover areas, making it impossible to implement simultaneous construction for these projects. Component Project 1 has only achieved a 5% land handover, and Component Project 2 has achieved nearly 20%.
In response to this situation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Electricity Group to send working groups with capable personnel to directly support Dong Nai in land clearance and relocation of electricity infrastructure, aiming to complete the land handover before June 30, 2024. The Prime Minister also urged efforts to ensure the opening of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway in 2025.
