Long Thanh interchange to open soon, drivers to avoid 18 km detour on Bien Hoa

Following the finalization of the toll collection plan, the Long Thanh interchange will open, allowing vehicles from the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway to directly access the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, eliminating an 18 km detour for drivers.

The Long Thanh interchange, connecting the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway and the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, is set to open for direct traffic flow. This development follows the Vietnam Road Administration's submission of a supplementary toll calculation plan on 22/5, aimed at facilitating this crucial connection and allowing drivers to bypass an 18 km detour.

Under the new plan, vehicles entering the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway from the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway will pay tolls directly (OTC) at the exit lanes. This differs from the current fully automated system on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway. The change is necessary because the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway has not yet implemented its own toll collection system, meaning it lacks entry point data for automated processing. For vehicles that have entered the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway but have not recorded an exit point after 3 hours, or depending on the actual situation, the system will assume the vehicle exited at the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway connection point to calculate the toll.

The Vietnam Road Administration instructed relevant units to implement the plan starting 24/5. Additionally, they are required to allocate a dedicated lane for vehicles entering from the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway to ensure safety and reduce potential congestion. Toll technology providers are also tasked with collaborating to develop solutions for OTC transactions, post-audits, reconciliation, and toll collection that are compatible with the new operational plan.

Previously, despite the entire Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway opening to traffic on 18/5, vehicles from the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway could not directly access the new route. This was due to unfinished items at the Long Thanh interchange and the lack of a unified toll calculation method. Consequently, drivers wanting to access the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway had to turn back to the Vo Nguyen Giap interchange, approximately 18 km away, causing inconvenience and delays.

Long Thanh interchange - the connection point between the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressways. *Photo: Phuoc Tuan*

The Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway spans nearly 54 km. Its starting point connects to the National Route 1 bypass through Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, and its end point intersects National Route 56 in Ba Ria - Vung Tau. The route comprises three component projects. In late April, component projects 2 and 3 opened to traffic. However, component project 1, which includes the Long Thanh interchange, was unfinished. Consequently, authorities opened Bung Mon road, located about 300 m from the interchange, as a temporary connection between the two routes.

When the entire Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway opened on 18/5, the Traffic Police Department ordered the closure of the temporary connection via Bung Mon road to ensure traffic safety. According to the department, the intersection was unsuitable for high-speed traffic, posing a risk of accidents.