The Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh expressway expansion is nearly 73% complete, but contractors face a shortage of bitumen for asphalt concrete, Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), the project investor, said on October 5.
VEC said package XL01, from kilometre 4 to kilometre 13.9 and including Long Thanh Bridge, is 76.6% complete. Package XL02, from kilometre 13.9 to kilometre 25.92, is nearly 69% complete.
VEC and the contractors aim to finish the viaduct and road sections in November. Traffic will then be reorganised while work moves to the existing road. Long Thanh Bridge is planned to be joined at the end of December and completed in February 2027.
Site clearance in Ho Chi Minh City has been completed. In Dong Nai, one case remains unresolved at the interchange with National Highway 51 in Long Thanh.
VEC said asphalt concrete work is under pressure because much work remains and bitumen supplies are scarce. The corporation linked the shortage to the conflict in the Middle East. Contractors are receiving only a small part of the material they need.
VEC has asked the authorities to regulate bitumen imports and stabilise raw material supplies. It will also work with contractors and suppliers to give the project priority in receiving the material.
The expanded section is about 21.92 kilometres long. It starts at the interchange with Ring Road 2 in Long Truong, Ho Chi Minh City, and ends at the interchange with the Bien Hoa, Vung Tau expressway in Long Thanh, Dong Nai.
Sources: Dân Trí
