A preliminary assessment indicates that the expansion of this route could significantly reduce the number of traffic accidents.
According to the Project Management Board No. 7, the Ho Chi Minh City - My Thuan Expressway is currently serving a huge traffic volume, which has increased by more than 35 percent compared to the time of the fee collection.
Additionally, the approximate 51-kilometer-long Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway section lacks an emergency stopping lane which has often leaded to vehicle collisions and traffic accidents, causing prolonged congestion. The section allows an average operating speed of only about 60 kilometers per hour and has low-quality service.
Statistics showed that the entire expressway records approximately 6.35 accidents per kilometer per year. Specifically, the Ho Chi Minh City- Trung Luong section records 3.7 accidents per kilometer a year, the Trung Luong - My Thuan section records 2.4 accidents per kilometer a year while the My Thuan 2 Bridge section experiences 0.25 accidents per kilometer a year.
It is estimated that the expansion project will help reduce traffic accidents and related costs by up to 74 percent.
According to the investment plan approved by the Ministry of Transport which is now the Ministry of Construction, the expansion project for the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway will span over 96 kilometers. The starting point is at the Cho Dem interchange in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City and the endpoint is at the northern approach of My Thuan 2 Bridge in Cai Be District, the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.
Of which, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong section will be upgraded to expressway standards with a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, design of eight lanes in the initial phase and expanding to 10-12 lanes in the completed phase.
The Trung Luong - My Thuan section will follow expressway standards with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour and six lanes for vehicles.
The project management board stated that the investment preparation and implementation period will be from 2024 to 2028, with a total estimated investment of approximately VND39.8 trillion (US$1.56 billion). This includes VND5.97 trillion (US$23.4 million) in equity capital and VND33.83 trillion (US$1.3 billion) from loans and other legally mobilized sources.
