HCMC – The Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has announced the official opening of two sections of the Ben Luc–Long Thanh expressway to traffic from 6 p.m. today (April 28), reported the local media.
The two sections now fully open are a 21-kilometer section from the HCMC–Trung Luong interchange to the Nguyen Van Tao interchange, and a seven-kilometer section from the Phuoc An interchange to National Highway 51 in Dong Nai Province. Their opening is to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the south and the reunification of the nation (April 30, 1975–2025).
For the section between the HCMC–Trung Luong interchange and National Highway 1, which spans around three kilometers, only passenger cars, buses, and trucks under 10 tons are permitted due to incomplete connecting works related to HCMC’s Beltway No. 3 project.
Under VEC’s guidelines, only automobiles are allowed on the expressway. Specialized low-speed vehicles, motorcycles, rudimentary vehicles and pedestrians are prohibited from entering these sections.
VEC has proposed toll rates to authorities, with fee collection expected to start in the second quarter of the year.
The Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway, as part of the North-South Expressway, is 57.8 kilometers long and passes through Long An with 2.7 km, HCMC with 26.4 km, and Dong Nai with 28.7 km.
Once finished, the expressway will provide a direct route between the Mekong Delta and southeastern provinces, bypassing the inner-city roads of HCMC. This is expected to ease congestion on major roads such as National Highway 1, National Highway 51, and the HCMC–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway.
