According to a proposal from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee (UBND TP HCM) to the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, the anticipated investor is Masterise Ha Tang Cao Toc Long Thanh - Ho Tram Joint Stock Company. The build-transfer contract will be paid through a combination of land funds and the state budget, with over 38 trillion VND sourced from land and nearly 6,300 billion VND from the state budget.

Perspective view of the Long Thanh - Ho Tram expressway. *Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction*

The expressway stretches over 42 km, starting with a connection to Ho Chi Minh City's Ring Road 4 and provincial road DT.991 (in Tan Thanh ward). Its endpoint links to provincial road DT.994, part of the Vung Tau - Binh Chau coastal axis (in Xuyen Moc commune). The project features an 8-lane design with a speed limit of 100 km/h, includes parallel roads, and will utilize nearly 400 hectares of land.

The expressway's route extends southeast from the Ring Road 4 area, connecting to existing transport arteries such as National Highway 56, National Highway 55, and various provincial roads in the former Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. It is designed to bypass residential areas and large reservoirs, with a section traversing the Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu forest area as per planning.

Proposed route of the Long Thanh - Ho Tram expressway. *Tam Thao*

According to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the expressway will directly connect the Ho Tram - Xuyen Moc area with Long Thanh Airport in Dong Nai. This connection is expected to enhance the efficiency of this national key aviation project, while also boosting tourism, marine economy, and regional connectivity.

The project is slated for groundbreaking around 30/4, with completion anticipated in 2030. Previously, investment options like build-operate-transfer (BOT) and build-lease-transfer (BLT) were considered but deemed unfeasible due to financial and timeline constraints. Consequently, the city proposed transitioning to a build-transfer (BT) contract, offering a flexible payment mechanism through land funds and a portion of the state budget.

By Giang Anh