From October 16 to 20, traffic on the My Thuan–Can Tho Expressway is temporarily suspended from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. the following day to facilitate the installation of beams for the Vo Van Kiet overpass and gantry cranes. These works are part of Package XL-04 under Phase 1 of the My Thuan–Can Tho Expressway construction project.
At 10 p.m. on October 18, traffic cones and warning tape had been placed at the expressway’s entrance and exit ramps, while personnel were on duty to issue advance warnings.
The contractor mobilized more than 30 engineers and workers, assigning them to different tasks. Before beam installation began, the access road was leveled, and the work area and crane positions were prepared to ensure suitable construction conditions.
The beams were transported by container trucks from a casting yard in Dong Thap Province to the construction site. Weighing approximately 75 tons and measuring nearly 40 meters in length, each beam is a large structural component that requires careful planning for transportation and installation.
At the construction site, three specialized cranes were deployed to lift the beams.
Once the first beam was positioned, construction crews proceeded to lift the second. Work continued at a brisk pace through the night, with the large structural components gradually put in place to help complete the Vo Van Kiet overpass structure.
Meanwhile, along the expressway, workers rushed to transport materials and equipment to designated staging areas for the installation of gantry frames. Tasks were carried out simultaneously, from transporting and positioning components to erecting the structures, helping accelerate construction of the additional works on the My Thuan–Can Tho Expressway.
The My Thuan–Can Tho Expressway is nearly 23 kilometers long, running through Vinh Long and Dong Thap provinces. Its starting point connects to the approach road of My Thuan 2 Bridge, linking with the Trung Luong–My Thuan Expressway. Its current endpoint temporarily connects to National Highway 1, and in the future it will connect to the approach road of Can Tho 2 Bridge.
The project had an initial total investment of approximately VND4.826 trillion (US$186 million) and was inaugurated and opened to traffic in December 2023.
However, to improve the efficiency of the expressway, the Ministry of Construction, following a proposal from the Vinh Long Provincial People’s Committee, decided to fund additional collector roads and the Vo Van Kiet interchange.
Under the decision, an additional VND971 billion was allocated, raising the project’s total investment from approximately VND4.826 trillion to more than VND5.797 trillion. The Vo Van Kiet interchange alone accounts for around VND1 trillion, covering construction of an overpass across the My Thuan–Can Tho Expressway, the Rach Lam Bridge, more than two kilometers of four interchange ramps and Vo Van Kiet Street, as well as site clearance and related costs.
