As the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway prepares to connect with the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway, there is an urgent need for a temporary toll collection plan and traffic organization at the Long Thanh–National Highway 51 interchange to reduce congestion and prevent revenue loss.
On March 20, Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) announced that the unit had sent a document to Project Management Unit 85 proposing a temporary toll collection plan for the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway, as Component Project 2 of the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway (Phase 1) is set to come into operation.
According to VEC, temporary toll collection is necessary to ensure smooth traffic flow, strengthen vehicle control, and minimize revenue leakage during the transition period when the two expressways are connected.
To implement the plan, it is essential to complete the technical infrastructure at the toll collection area. At the same time, technical conditions must be met to allow contractors to install equipment on schedule and avoid operational issues.
A key requirement is to close all openings on the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway, including connecting branches that have not yet been equipped with official toll stations, in order to strictly control vehicle access and prevent revenue loss. The temporary traffic organization plan must also be adjusted to align with actual connectivity conditions.
Notably, VEC proposed adding a non-toll lane at the toll station at the National Highway 51 interchange on the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway to facilitate connections to the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway. However, this plan carries a risk of congestion, as the route is currently undergoing expansion, particularly at Branch C of the toll station, which is affected by construction.
To reduce traffic conflicts, VEC recommended adding lane markings, barriers, signage, and solid median dividers ahead of Branch C. Continuous lane separation from the National Highway 51 toll station to the Long Thanh interchange is also needed to prevent vehicles from taking wrong directions after passing the toll station.
Under the proposal, only in emergency anti-congestion situations would vehicles from Branch C be allowed to connect to the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway, under the direction of traffic authorities.
The Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway is approximately 54 kilometers long, running through Dong Nai Province and Ho Chi Minh City, and is divided into three sections. Section 1, about 16 kilometers long, is being accelerated toward completion; Section 2, over 18 kilometers and Section 3, nearly 20 kilometers, are largely complete. More than 35 kilometers of sections 2 and 3, from the Long Thanh interchange to the National Highway 56 interchange, are expected to open to traffic before March 31.
