The 55 km Vung Ang - Bung expressway, initiated in 1/2023 with a total investment of over 12,540 billion VND, begins at the Ky Hoa commune intersection in Ha Tinh province, connecting to the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang expressway. It ends in Bo Trach commune, Quang Tri province, connecting with the Bung - Van Ninh expressway (opened in April) at the Phong Nha interchange.

Pictured is the nearly 2.8 km Gianh River Bridge, designed with a width of 17.5 m and 4 lanes, representing an investment of over 1,000 billion VND. This is the longest bridge on the North-South expressway through Quang Tri province and is now complete and ready for traffic.

The expressway section through Ha Tinh is 13 km long, while the section through Quang Tri spans over 42 km. The project's first phase includes 4 lanes, a 17 m roadbed, and a design speed of 80-90 km/h. The project is managed by Project Management Unit 6 (Ministry of Construction). The expressway traverses complex terrain including hills, mountains, and lakes. In the Ha Tinh section, the project includes 5 viaducts over lakes, dams, and valleys.

Nearly 49 km away, the Van Ninh - Cam Lo expressway, started in 1/2023 with a total investment of nearly 9,920 billion VND, stretches 65.5 km. Beginning in Van Ninh commune, it connects with the Bung - Van Ninh expressway at the National Highway 9B intersection and a completed overpass. The terrain is relatively flat, except for a section passing An Ma Lake that required mountain cutting.

Like the Vung Ang - Bung expressway, the Van Ninh - Cam Lo expressway lacks emergency stopping lanes, offering only emergency stopping points every 4-5 km. In the first phase, the expressway has 4 lanes with a maximum speed of 60-90 km/h. Upon completion, it will expand to 6 lanes with two emergency stopping lanes and a design speed of 100 km/h.

The 11.5 km Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan expressway in Da Nang, connecting the La Son - Hoa Lien expressway and the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway, is nearing completion. With an investment of over 2,100 billion VND, it will open on the morning of 19/8.

The intersection through Hai Van ward is a highlight of the route. This intersection features completed access roads to the High-Tech Park and Lien Chieu Port.

The Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan expressway is part of the eastern North-South expressway, passing through Ba Na commune, Hoa Khanh ward, and Lien Chieu ward in Da Nang. This vital route connects existing expressways from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai.

The opening of the three expressway sections, Vung Ang - Bung, Van Ninh - Cam Lo, and Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan, connects approximately 750 km of the North-South expressway from Hanoi to Da Nang.

The Phuoc Loc Bridge, Quang Ngai province's first steel arch bridge (formerly Tra Khuc 3 Bridge), has a total investment of 850 billion VND and is managed by the Quang Ngai Province Traffic Construction Project Management Board.

The 3.5 km bridge includes a 708 m bridge span and 1.8 km of access roads. Construction began in late 2022 to connect National Highway 24B on the north bank of the Tra Khuc River with Provincial Road DT 623B on the south bank.

The nearly 23 m wide bridge has 15 spans, including three red-painted steel arch spans and 12 reinforced concrete approach spans of 38 m each. The three red arch spans create a new landmark on the river. This is the 6th road bridge over the Tra Khuc River, following Tra Khuc 1, Tra Khuc 2, Thach Bich Bridge, Co Luy Bridge, and the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway bridge.

Vehicles conducted test runs before the official opening.

Pham Hoang Thao, a resident of Son Tinh commune, explained that previously, residents had to take a ferry across the Tra Khuc River to reach the western communes of the former Tu Nghia district (now Nghia Giang commune).

With the construction of the Thach Bich Bridge and the bridge on the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway, the distance between the two areas was reduced to 18-30 km, depending on the vehicle. The Phuoc Loc Bridge further shortens the distance to just 3 km.

"I am very happy to have such a magnificent bridge, hoping it will lead to urban development, population growth, and new business opportunities," said Ms. Thao.

The 9 km section of Ho Chi Minh City's Ring Road 3, from the intersection with the Ho Chi Minh City - Dau Giay expressway over Nhon Trach Bridge to the intersection with Road 25B, part of component project 1A, will open after three years of construction. This section connects Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai province. An aerial view shows the completed access ramps to the expressway in Ho Chi Minh City. Nhon Trach Bridge, completed and technically opened on April 30th, is also visible.

The approximately 2.5 km long and 20.5 m wide Nhon Trach Bridge has 6 lanes and an 80 km/h speed limit. The bridge has 39 piers and two abutments, with the main section consisting of 5 piers and 4 spans, offering a navigational clearance of 30.5 m. With an investment of 1,800 billion VND, it is the largest bridge in the Ring Road 3 project. The project is largely complete and lane markings are being finalized. The bridge will shorten travel times from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai, Long Thanh International Airport, and neighboring provinces.

The Rach Mieu 2 Bridge, spanning the Tien River and connecting Dong Thap and Vinh Long provinces, is the second cable-stayed bridge designed and built by Vietnamese engineers. Located 4 km from the existing bridge, it has a total investment of over 6,800 billion VND and is opening after nearly four years of construction. The 17.6 km bridge has a main span of 1.9 km (three spans of 120 m, 270 m, and 120 m). The 21.5 m wide bridge deck has 4 lanes and a design speed of 80 km/h. The 113 m high pylons support 112 cable bundles and 32 cast segments.

The bridge ends at National Highway 60, nearly one kilometer from the north abutment of Ham Luong Bridge in Ben Tre ward, Vinh Long province. Upon completion, the bridge will alleviate congestion commonly experienced during holidays and Tet on Rach Mieu 1 Bridge, while shortening travel times from the eastern Mekong Delta provinces to Ho Chi Minh City via National Highway 60.

Despite the persistent rain on the afternoon of 18/8, Huynh Thi Phuong, a 59-year-old retired teacher, and her friends rode their motorbikes 20 km from Cho Gao commune to Rach Mieu 2 Bridge for photos. "We took the opportunity to take commemorative photos because we won't have another chance after the bridge opens to traffic," Ms. Phuong said. Many other people also came to the bridge for photos like Ms. Phuong.

Reporting team