4 trillion-dollar traffic projects increase connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong

HCMC – Expanding National Highway 13, the HCMC – Chon Thanh Expressway, Ring Road 3 and extending Metro Line 1 will help increase connectivity between HCMC and Binh Duong.

Ho Chi Minh City will widen National Highway 13 to 53 – 60m to reduce traffic congestion. Photo: Anh Tu

Expanding National Highway 13

National Highway 13 is the main artery of Ho Chi Minh City, the gateway for trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong and the Central Highlands provinces. National Highway 13 through Binh Duong province is being expanded to 8 lanes, while the section through Ho Chi Minh City currently has only 4-6 lanes, creating a “bottleneck” causing traffic jams.

Traffic jam on Highway 13, from Binh Duong to the center of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Minh Quan

More than 20 years ago, Ho Chi Minh City planned to expand National Highway 13 but could not implement it due to lack of capital and mechanism problems. After Resolution 98 allowed Ho Chi Minh City to apply the BOT (build-operate-transfer) model for existing road upgrade projects, the National Highway 13 expansion project was among the priority implementation groups.

National Highway 13, from Binh Trieu Bridge to Binh Duong province border, nearly 6km long, will be expanded to 53 – 60m, with a total investment of nearly 14,000 billion VND.

Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport is hiring a consultant to prepare a pre-feasibility study report to prepare for implementation. The project is expected to start in 2025 and be completed in 2028.

Ho Chi Minh City – Chon Thanh Expressway

The Ho Chi Minh City – Chon Thanh Expressway is nearly 55km long, connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the two provinces of Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc.

The starting point of the expressway connects to Ring Road 3 through Binh Duong. From this point, an access road will be built to the Go Dua intersection (belonging to Ring Road 2 of Ho Chi Minh City), with a total length of nearly 9km.

 Go Dua Intersection (Thu Duc City, HCMC). Photo: Dinh Trong

Of which, 1.65km passes through Ho Chi Minh City, connecting from Go Dua intersection (Thu Duc City) along Binh Chieu Street to DT 743 Road to Binh Duong.

Ho Chi Minh City plans to spend 3,300 billion VND to invest in this 60m wide highway access road, of which the cost of site clearance is about 1,660 billion VND, to be implemented in the 2024 – 2028 period.

Ring Road 3, HCMC

The Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 project passes through four localities: Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An. The project is over 76km long, with a total project investment of over VND75,300 billion, including site clearance and construction.

The project was started by localities in June 2023, with the expectation of basic completion in 2025 and the entire project in 2026.

 Construction site of Ring Road 3, section through Thu Duc City (HCMC). Photo: Minh Quan

Beltway 3 through Ho Chi Minh City is 47km long with 10 construction packages, of which 4 packages started construction in June 2023, reaching about 17.51%. The remaining 6 packages started construction earlier this year, currently reaching about 5.1%.

Meanwhile, the 11.43km section of Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3 passing through Binh Duong province is currently at 13.7%.

Metro Line 1 Extension

Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) is nearly 20 km long, from Ben Thanh Station (District 1) to Long Binh Depot (Thu Duc City). The project is currently over 98% complete and is expected to be commercially operational by the end of this year.

Ho Chi Minh City is coordinating with Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces to complete the plan to extend Metro Line 1 .

 Suoi Tien Bus Station on Metro Line 1. Photo: Anh Tu

According to the proposed plan, Metro Line 1 from Suoi Tien bus station (near the new Mien Dong bus station, Ho Chi Minh City) will be built with an elevated section on the right side of National Highway 1, then turn left to connect to Binh Thang station (S0 station) before Tan Van intersection (Binh Duong).

In the above area, the metro line is divided into two branches. One branch to Binh Duong is nearly 30 km long, built on high ground. From station S0, the line runs through DT.742 road, Binh Chuan intersection and goes left along My Phuoc – Tan Va road. The line then turns between DX01 road and Hung Vuong road into the administrative center of Thu Dau Mot city to the Depot in Phu Chanh ward (Tan Uyen city).

Source: Lao Động.