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Watching the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway Take Shape

Nearly a year into construction, the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway is gradually taking shape, with several sections already paved with asphalt. Groundbreaking began in August 2025, with a total investment of VND 16,300 billion. The project spans 22 km, starting from the Ring Road 2 interchange in Ho Chi Minh City and ending at the interchange with the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway. Once completed, it is set to become the key artery connecting the city center with Long Thanh Airport, with operations expected to begin later this year.

The most significant and largest-scale component of the project is Long Thanh Bridge 2. After nearly a year of construction, the pier work has essentially been completed, and the project is now moving into the girder installation phase. This area has long been a bottleneck prone to congestion due to the steep bridge slope. On site, a new row of piers is rising along the Dong Nai River, right beside the existing bridge. Once finished, Long Thanh Bridge 2 will stretch approximately 2.3 km in length and 23.75 m in width, with five lanes including one dedicated emergency lane, expected to significantly ease congestion on this vital route linking Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh Airport.

(Source: VnExpress)

Meanwhile, at the elevated approach leading to Long Thanh Bridge 2 on the Dong Nai side, contractors have completed the piers and girders, with only the asphalt paving stage remaining. According to the schedule, the main bridge span is expected to be joined by the end of this year, with the entire structure completed by the first quarter of 2027. About 1.5 km away, Song Tac Bridge in Long Truong ward, Ho Chi Minh City, is another key component of the Ho Chi Minh City - Dau Giay Expressway, where barges and specialized equipment are working intensively to build the piers over the river.

Beyond the bridge works, the entire route is being widened to ten lanes in both directions to align with the broader upgrade connecting to Long Thanh Airport. At the intersection with Vo Chi Cong Road, part of Ring Road 2, the contractor has nearly completed girder placement across the full system of piers. This is one of the major interchanges at the city's eastern gateway, where traffic volume is consistently high and congestion frequently stretches out, especially during holidays and Tet. The construction site along the approach road to the expressway is equally bustling, with workers and heavy machinery simultaneously carrying out girder installation, ground compaction, and drainage system construction. At the Kenh Muong and Do Xuan Hop bridge sections, numerous new piers are being built, with girder installation already underway on some segments.

Source: VnExpress

Another critical traffic chokepoint lies at the connection with An Phu interchange, where the expressway intersects major arterial roads including Mai Chi Tho, Luong Dinh Cua, Dong Van Cong, and the route leading to Cat Lai Port. Once this interchange is completed in sync with the broader expansion project, congestion at the city's eastern gateway is expected to ease considerably, while also improving the efficiency of the route connecting Long Thanh Airport with the southeastern provinces. On the Dong Nai side, several sections passing through Long Thanh and Nhon Trach wards are being worked on with embankment filling, graded stone base laying, and asphalt paving, including the area near interchange 319. At the intersection with National Highway 51 — a high-traffic junction that has posed considerable construction challenges — elevated piers are being pushed forward with accelerated girder installation and asphalt paving.

The project's final point is the interchange with the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway and the T2 road leading into Long Thanh Airport. The elevated section running parallel to the existing Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway, about 300 m long, has completed girder installation and is expected to be finished by the end of this year. The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway itself runs 55 km through Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, and has been operating since its first phase opened in 2015, with a total investment of VND 20,600 billion. After a decade in operation, the route has increasingly shown signs of overload, frequently facing congestion, particularly on weekends and during holidays — underscoring the urgent need for the current expansion.

Following the project's progress step by step, SMC Concrete sees a reflection of itself in every component of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway. Carrying the motto "Solid Foundation - Sustainable Future," we have helped build a solid foundation for this project, supporting every stage of construction — so that the city's eastern gateway becomes more open, and the journey to Long Thanh Airport draws ever closer.