Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway project proposed to be completed later than deadline

The Ministry of Transport recently submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister requesting an extension to the completion deadline of the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway project to the end of September 2026, instead of the end of 2025 as initially planned.

The ministry cited force majeure, based on previous reports and recommendations from the Vietnam Expressway Development Investment Corporation (VEC) – the investor. The reason given is that the Japanese contractor withdrew from package J3-1 (construction of Phuoc Khanh bridge and its approaches), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) confirmed it would not continue funding the remaining work for this package.

JICA's withdrawal necessitates VEC securing alternative funding to complete the project. This consequently requires adjustments to the total investment and funding structure, which have also been proposed for amendment.

Following the Prime Minister's approval of the investment adjustment, the Ministry will then approve the revised investment project to allow the investor to proceed with the next steps.

VEC is currently undertaking tender procedures for package J3-1 through the national e-procurement system. The estimated completion time for this package is 13 months.

VEC also noted that Phuoc Khanh bridge project, a large cable-stayed bridge with a clearance height of 55m – the highest in Vietnam – presents significant construction challenges. Therefore, they requested a further five-month extension to the deadline for the completion of the bridge, setting it to September 30, 2026, to account for unforeseen circumstances.

Package J3-1 is the final "bottleneck" of the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway project which is part of the Eastern North-South Expressway system. Construction of the 57.8km project, traversing Long An province, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Nai province, began in July 2014.