The delays have become a growing concern, as these locations are among the city's most congestion-prone traffic bottlenecks, particularly during peak hours.
Completion deadline delayed again
At Ho Chi Minh City's eastern gateway, the My Thuy Interchange project remains unfinished after nearly a decade of construction. Launched in 2016 with a total investment of more than VND3.6 trillion (US$137 million), the project was divided into three phases to ease chronic congestion around Cat Lai Port, where a large volume of container trucks passes through each day.
To date, several components under Phases 1 and 2 have been completed, including My Thuy 3 Bridge, the left-branch overpass on Ring Road 2, the left branch of Ky Ha 3 Bridge, and the left-turn underpass connecting Ring Road 2 to Cat Lai Port.
However, a number of Phase 3 components remain unfinished. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority, overall construction has reached about 75 percent completion. Under the previous schedule, the project was expected to be completed by April 30, 2026, but the deadline has since been pushed back to the end of the third quarter of this year.
Also at the city's eastern gateway, completion of the An Phu Interchange has been postponed by more than a year to the end of the third quarter of 2027, instead of the second quarter of 2026 as previously planned. This marks the second extension since construction began in late 2022. The project has now reached approximately 78 percent completion. Several key components, including the N2 and N3 bridge ramps and two underpasses, have been opened to traffic, helping ease congestion at the gateway connecting to the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway. However, many of the remaining works have yet to get underway.
At the city's southern gateway, completion of Phase 1 of the Nguyen Van Linh–Nguyen Huu Tho intersection project, including two underpasses on Nguyen Van Linh Street, has significantly improved traffic flow for through vehicles. Nevertheless, congestion remains frequent at the intersection with Nguyen Huu Tho Street, particularly during peak hours, as it continues to operate as an at-grade intersection while the planned overpass has yet to be built.
Land clearance bottlenecks to be resolved, construction accelerated
Speaking to Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority, Le Ngoc Hung, said completion of the An Phu Interchange has been rescheduled to the end of 2027 because a 22,000-square-meter site along Luong Dinh Cua Street has yet to be cleared. The delay has prevented construction of the N1.2 bridge ramp, which will connect to the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has revised the project's boundary to incorporate the site into the Luong Dinh Cua Street expansion project, allowing the government to directly carry out compensation and land clearance using advance funding from the municipal budget. The project investor will subsequently reimburse these costs in accordance with regulations.
Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, Vo Khanh Hung, said that, following directives from Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc to accelerate the An Phu Interchange project, the department has instructed the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority to urgently review the progress of all project components, identify bottlenecks and implementation challenges, and propose solutions to ensure the project is completed on schedule.
For the My Thuy Interchange, the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority said that the biggest obstacle remains compensation and land clearance. Contractors are continuing work on the Nguyen Thi Dinh underpass, roads along both sides of My Thuy Canal, Ky Ha 3 Bridge, Ky Ha 4 Bridge, and the Ring Road 2 overpass. The project owner will continue coordinating with local authorities to complete site handover while accelerating construction as soon as cleared land becomes available.
Regarding the Nguyen Van Linh–Nguyen Huu Tho intersection project, the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority said the completion and opening of the two underpasses in January 2025 were intended to address the urgent traffic congestion on Nguyen Van Linh Street. The overpass crossing Nguyen Van Linh has been included in the city's North–South Corridor Upgrade Project, for which the architectural design competition plan has already been approved. With a total investment of more than VND12 trillion (US$456.5 million), the project is expected to break ground this year and be completed in 2028, later than initially anticipated.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has also directed the Department of Construction to review chronic traffic bottlenecks, including Dan Chu Roundabout, Hoang Hoa Tham Street, intersections along Vo Van Kiet Boulevard, Pham Van Dong Street, and other congestion hotspots. The department has been tasked with identifying the causes of congestion and compiling a list of priority bottlenecks to be addressed in phases through 2030.
The Department of Construction will take the lead, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh Department of Public Security, the Department of Finance, and other relevant agencies, in finalizing a draft implementation plan. It will also study feasible solutions aligned with the proposed implementation roadmap and available resources.
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