Houses demolished to expand vital road connecting Ho Chi Minh City

Numerous houses along national highway 22, a crucial link to Tay Ninh, are being cleared to expand the road from 6 to 10 lanes at Ho Chi Minh City's northwest gateway.

Tan Xuan Secondary School in Xuan Thoi Son commune also dismantled its gate and part of a classroom block to clear land for the project.

For about a month, many houses along national highway 22 have been demolished to clear land for the road expansion project. Near the An Suong intersection, about 30 houses are being torn down, set back according to the clearance boundary.

The national highway 22 expansion project spans 8.7 km, from the An Suong intersection to Ring Road 3. It is being developed under a public-private partnership (BOT contract) with a total capital exceeding 10,400 billion VND.

About 4 km from the An Suong intersection, residents in Xuan Thoi Son commune are also dismantling many houses.

The section of national highway 22 slated for expansion is currently named Le Quang Dao. It serves as a vital transport artery connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Tay Ninh and the Moc Bai border gate. The current 6-lane road is frequently overloaded due to heavy traffic, causing prolonged congestion for many years.

A row of about 5 houses opposite Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages - Information Technology is being demolished for the project. The road passes through 5 localities: Xuan Thoi Son, Ba Diem, Hoc Mon, Tan Xuan communes, and Trung My Tay ward.

According to the plan, the national highway 22 section will be expanded to 60 m with 10 lanes. Of these, 4 central lanes are for high-speed vehicles, reaching up to 80 km/h; the mixed-use lanes on both sides will operate at 60 km/h.

Workers, with excavators and cranes, dismantle rows of storefront houses to hand over land for the project. Many structures are completely cleared, with the recovery boundary set back 12 to 14 m from the existing line.

Workers demolish walls, dismantle houses, and break concrete structures to collect leftover steel along the route.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Management Board of Investment and Construction of Traffic Projects, the project involves acquiring about 16.6 hectares of land, affecting 1,362 households, with 392 cases requiring full clearance. The city expects to spend about 6,227 billion VND on compensation, support, and resettlement.

Nguyen Minh Hien, 40, observed workers demolishing part of his house to hand over the land. His family had 3 houses totaling 300 m2 that were cleared. As the acquired land was agricultural, he received 3 billion VND in compensation.

“I handed over the land early so the project could start sooner, helping to reduce congestion in this area,” Hien said.

Vu Thi Bam, 66, stood on the cleared land of her house, demolished a week ago, with the remaining area behind her. Her family had 83 m2 acquired and received 6 billion VND in compensation.

However, the remaining land is only about 15 m2, posing difficulties for rebuilding. “I still don’t know how to build a house because the area is too small for my family’s daily life,” Bam said.

A row of houses at the intersection with Nguyen Thi Soc street is being handed over.

Along with widening the road, the project will build 7 overpasses at intersections with Nguyen Anh Thu, Nguyen Thi Soc - Nha Vuong, Le Thi Ha, Tran Van Muoi - Ba Trieu, Ly Thuong Kiet - Nguyen Van Bua, Nguyen Thi Nuoi, and Duong Cong Khi - Le Loi streets.

Along national highway 22, many houses and businesses have been partially demolished, with owners relocating belongings, awaiting full clearance. Once land handover is complete, construction will commence, with operations expected to begin in 2028.

A row of houses (right) near the An Suong intersection will be completely cleared, helping to eliminate this bottleneck.

National highway 22, located at the city's northwest gateway and approximately 60 km long, is a vital transport route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Moc Bai international border gate (Tay Ninh). It plays a key role in road trade between Vietnam and ASEAN countries.

Once expanded, it will synchronize with key projects like Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4, and the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway, forming an inter-regional transport network, contributing to the socio-economic development of the Southeast region.

Demolition of houses along national highway 22 from above. Video: Quynh Tran