HCMC – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressways to expand for smoother traffic flow

HCMC – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressways

Accordingly, from the Transport Ministry’s report on investment in the construction of HCMC – Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Tho Expressways, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha assigned this ministry to research possible ways to widen HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway to 8 lanes and Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway to 6 lanes. These projects will run under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The Transport Ministry should work with the Planning and Investment Ministry as well as localities where the expressways pass by in order to select the most suitable contract type, including the PPP model, and to assign competent authorities for convenient implementation of the projects.

The two projects for HCMC – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressways with a total length of 91km are a part of the expressway network development plan, approved by the Prime Minister to finish by 2030.The two routes pass through HCMC, Long An Province, and Tien Giang Province.

At present, 40-kilometer HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway has 4 regular and 2 emergency lanes. The traffic on the route after 12 years of operation reaches 50,000 vehicles per day. There is frequent congestion, leading to possible traffic accidents. The actual velocity of transportation means on this route is only 60-70km/h, compared to the theoretical one of 100-120km/h.

51-kilometer Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway has 4 regular lanes and opened for traffic on April 30, 2022 with the maximum speed of 80km/h. However, with intermittent emergency lanes, only one collision can lead to prolonged congestion. The route is used by over 23,000 vehicles a day on average, which is extremely close to its limit. On holidays, the traffic here increases significantly, reaching as many as 39,000 vehicles a day (Lunar New Year 2023).

The Transport Ministry proposed that to better accommodate the high traffic volume, HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway should be expanded to 8 regular and 2 emergency lanes with the theoretical velocity of 120km/h. Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway should also be widened to 6 regular and 2 emergency lanes with the designed speed of 100km/h.