Ho Chi Minh City will invest nearly VND1 trillion ($40.6 million) to expand  the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh section of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway, and its 3-km access road from An Phu interchange to Ring Road No. 2, from four to eight lanes, the Voice of Vietnam reported.

The municipal People's Council approved the plan at its 18th meeting on September 27. 

The project is scheduled to start in 2025 and be completed within one year.

The four-lane Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway, 55 km long, was opened to traffic in 2016 with a total investment of VND20.6 trillion (nearly $837 million). It is a key route connecting Ho Chi Minh City to localities in the Southeastern region.

Since its opening, traffic volume on the expressway has steadily increased, with an average annual growth rate of over 11%. The section from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh is projected to have about 72,200 vehicles per day and night by 2025, exceeding its current 4-lane capacity by 25%.

The expansion of this expressway section, including the access road from An Phu interchange to Ring Road 2, is crucial to address the increasing traffic pressure, especially when the Long Thanh international airport (phase 1) is put into commercial operation.