HCMC — The VND15-trillion expansion of the HCMC–Long Thanh Expressway has fallen behind schedule due to land clearance problems and slow design approval, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The 22-kilometer project runs through HCMC and Dong Nai Province. It includes two construction packages, XL1 and XL2, and is developed by the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC).
Construction began on August 19 and is scheduled for basic completion by December 2026 to meet rising traffic demand once the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport opens.
After more than two months, the project has seen limited progress. Package XL1 has completed about 80% of preparatory work, while XL2 has reached nearly 40%. Most activity is concentrated around Long Thanh Bridge, while several sections remain idle due to incomplete land handover.
In the XL1 package, contractors have received only five or six meters wide of cleared land along the expressway, compared to the 17–20 meters required for an eight- to ten-lane expansion, halting piling and foundation works.
In Dong Nai, more than 230 workers and nearly 100 pieces of machinery have been mobilized for the XL2 package. However, a lack of approved technical drawings for relocating power lines and bridge structures has prevented full-scale construction.
The project is being carried out under an emergency design-and-build format, but delays in design appraisal and approval have slowed progress.
Contractors said they have deployed workers and equipment but cannot proceed without full land clearance and approved designs. They added that once these issues are resolved, work could accelerate to meet the Government’s 2026 completion target.
