HCMC – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has directed the Ministry of Transport to explore options for widening the HCMC-Trung Luong and Trung Luong-My Thuan expressways.
Under the plan, the HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway will be expanded to eight traffic lanes, while the Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway will be widened to six traffic lanes from the current four.
The Ministry of Transport is expected to collaborate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and relevant local authorities to determine the most suitable contract type for these expansion projects, which may include the public-private partnership (PPP).
These two expressways traverse HCMC, Long An, and Tien Giang Provinces, covering a total length of 91 kilometers.
Following the expansion, HCMC-Trung Luong will enable motorists to travel at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour and Trung Luong-My Thuan at 100 kilometers per hour.
The HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway stretches 40 kilometers and currently features four lanes for vehicles along with two emergency lanes. It serves as a vital western gateway to HCMC, connecting the city with the Mekong Delta region.
Since being opened to traffic 12 years ago, the expressway has had a daily traffic volume of 50,000 vehicles, leading to frequent congestion and accidents. The average traffic speed remains between 60 to 70 kilometers per hour, well below the intended range of 100 to 120 kilometers per hour.
Covering a distance of 51 kilometers with a configuration of four traffic lanes, the Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway began operations in April 2022, enforcing an 80-kilometer-per-hour speed limit.
However, the initial phase of the expressway lacks emergency lanes and features only 11 emergency stops. These stops, each only two meters wide, present difficulties in clearing accident sites and contribute to recurrent traffic congestion.
