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Costing VND31.3 trillion (US$1.19 billion), the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway spans Dong Nai City, Ho Chi Minh City, and Tay Ninh. It is southern Vietnam's largest expressway project, linking the southeast and Mekong Delta regions to ease congestion across Ho Chi Minh City.
Construction started in 2014 with an initial five-year timeline, but policy and funding bottlenecks halted the project.
The route begins at the My Yen interchange in Tay Ninh, connecting to Ring Road 3 and the Ho Chi Minh City–Trung Luong Expressway, which links Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai City, home to the Long Thanh airport. Several ramps at the interchange have been active since early this year.
Designed with four traffic lanes and two emergency lanes, the expressway has a maximum speed limit of 100 kph. Key infrastructure, including toll stations, guardrails, noise barriers, and signage, is complete, with nearly 30 kilometers of the route already open to traffic.
Nearly 25 kilometers of the route remains closed because key connections at both ends are not yet ready.
A five-kilometer section between the Binh Khanh and Phuoc Khanh bridges in Ho Chi Minh City is largely complete but cannot open until the Phuoc Khanh Bridge is finished.
In Dong Nai City, completed stretches from the Phuoc An interchange roundabout to the Phuoc Khanh Bridge site also remain inaccessible to traffic.
The Phuoc An interchange connects the expressway with the road to Phuoc An Port and Truong Chinh Road, facilitating freight transport to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, and southeastern provinces.
Additional key interchanges, including My Yen, National Highway 50, Nguyen Van Tao, and National Highway 51, link the route to major roads, industrial parks, port clusters, and Long Thanh Airport.
The interchange with Ring Road 3 in Phuoc An Commune is another key traffic hub. Access roads and elevated sections of Ring Road 3 are currently under construction to connect with the expressway.
The National Highway 50 interchange in Da Phuoc Commune will give vehicles from southern and western Ho Chi Minh City easier access to the expressway, creating an additional link to the Mekong Delta.
Two major cable-stayed bridges, Binh Khanh and Phuoc Khanh, are key features of the route and have some of the highest navigational clearances in Vietnam.
The 2.76-km Binh Khanh Bridge crosses the Soai Rap River, linking Nha Be with Can Gio. It features a 375-m main span, two 155-m towers, and a 55-m navigational clearance. While the bridge is completed, it remains unopened because the unfinished Phuoc Khanh Bridge prevents the full route from connecting.
Construction of the 3.1-kilometer Phuoc Khanh Bridge began in 2015. Spanning the Long Tau River, it features a cable-stayed design similar to the Binh Khanh Bridge, with a 300-meter main span and two 135-meter towers. The structure was recently connected and is expected to be completed within this month, allowing the full expressway to open.
The route passes through diverse landscapes, including wetlands, mangrove forests, rubber plantations and vast rice fields.
The project's eastern end will eventually connect with the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway and National Highway 51.
Once completed, the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway will link areas west and southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, connecting major regional transport corridors. The route will reduce pressure on existing roads across Ho Chi Minh City and shorten travel times between the Mekong Delta, Dong Nai City, and Long Thanh Airport, which is expected to begin commercial operations in December.
