Workers close part of Long Thành Bridge for expansion joint repairs on Wednesday. The HCM City–Long Thành Expressway will be partially closed until mid-August. — Photo courtesy of VECE

HCM CITY — A key section of the HCM City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây Expressway will be partially closed for maintenance until mid-August, as authorities carry out structural repairs and upgrades to the route’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

According to the Vietnam Expressway Services Engineering Joint Stock Company (VECE), which operates the 55-km expressway, repairs began on Tuesday (July 15) and include replacement of expansion joints on the Long Thành Bridge and maintenance of the expressway’s ITS.

Work on the bridge’s P26 pier joint is expected to take 15 days, during which half of the left-side carriageway (in the Đồng Nai–HCM City direction) will be closed. Speed limits will be reduced in affected zones.

Separately, ITS upgrades will be conducted at 64 points along the expressway, with lane narrowing and lower speed limits in place until mid-August.

VECE has warned of potential congestion during the construction period. Drivers are urged to slow down, maintain safe distances, and check traffic updates for alternative routes. 

Police and traffic controllers will be deployed at key points to manage traffic flow.

Critical infrastructure

Launched in 2015, the four-lane HCM City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây Expressway connects HCM City to Đồng Nai Province, with links to industrial zones, ports, and major highways in southern Việt Nam.

It features two emergency lanes and supports a design speed of 100 km per hour.

The Long Thành Bridge, the largest and most complex structure on the route, spans 2.3 km and was last repaired in September 2024. 

It is a frequent congestion point, particularly on weekends and holidays.

Traffic volumes have surged since the expressway was connected to the Dầu Giây–Phan Thiết Expressway, with further increases expected once it links to the Biên Hòa–Vũng Tàu Expressway and the under-construction Long Thành International Airport.

To ease pressure, the Government plans to start a major expansion next month, widening a 22-km section from HCM City’s Ring Road 2 to the Biên Hòa-Vũng Tàu interchange. — VNS