Why adjust the completion time of Ben Luc highway?

The completion time of the entire Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway is proposed to be delayed to 2026 instead of the end of 2025.

The Ministry of Transport has just sent a document to the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) regarding the signing of the contract for package J3-1 of the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway construction investment project.

Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, near the intersection of Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway (Photo: My Quynh).

The content of the document clearly states: After reviewing VEC's report on the request for permission to sign a contract to implement package J3-1 of the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway construction investment project, the Ministry has submitted Documents No. 9536 dated August 30, 2024 and No. 15212 dated November 18, 2024 to the Prime Minister on adjusting the project investment policy.

In particular, the proposed project implementation period is until September 30, 2026; the total investment and investment capital structure are also adjusted (using capital arranged by Vietnam Expressway Corporation to replace JICA's ODA loan to complete the remaining work).

"After the Prime Minister approves the adjustment of the investment policy, the Ministry of Transport will adjust the investment project according to regulations to carry out the next tasks.

VEC needs to proactively and actively coordinate with the Department of Planning and Investment, consult the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Justice, and Construction as a basis for the Prime Minister to approve policy adjustments," the Ministry of Transport proposed.

Based on actual progress, the western section of Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway (Km 0+700 - Km 21+739.5) using ADB loan capital and VEC capital arrangement will be open to traffic before April 30, 2025.

For the middle section (Km 21+739.5 - Km 32+450), package J1 (Binh Khanh bridge and approach road) will be completed before September 30, 2025; package J2 has been completed; package J3-1 (Phuoc Khanh bridge) has completed bid evaluation but VEC has not been able to sign the contract due to waiting for approval of investment policy adjustment.

The Eastern section (Km 32+450 - Km 57+700) using ADB loan capital and VEC capital arrangement will be open to traffic before April 30, 2025.

As for the newly added XL-NG51 Package (construction of a complete interchange with National Highway 51 and Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway), VEC is currently organizing a bidding process and is expected to complete it in April 2026.

Previously, reporting the reason for the proposal to adjust the implementation time of the Ben Luc - Long Thanh project to September 2026, in the report to the Government dated November 18, 2024, the Ministry of Transport said that the project was approved by the Prime Minister to adjust the investment policy in Decision No. 791 dated July 3, 2023 and the Ministry of Transport approved the project adjustment in Decision No. 961 dated August 4, 2023.

The total investment of the project is nearly 29,600 billion VND, using loans from JICA, ADB, counterpart funds from the Government and capital arranged by VEC. The completion date of the entire project is September 30, 2025.

During the implementation process, because the Japanese contractor did not continue to implement Package J3 (Construction of Phuoc Khanh Bridge and Approach Road), JICA agreed not to continue to finance the remaining volume of the package, VEC had to arrange capital to complete it.

Based on VEC's proposal, on August 30, 2024, the Ministry of Transport submitted a document to the Prime Minister for approval of the adjustment of the project investment policy. The project implementation period is proposed to be adjusted to December 31, 2025; The total investment of the project is nearly VND 29,600 billion, using JICA, ADB loans, Government counterpart funds and VEC arranged capital.

According to the Ministry of Transport, at the time the Ministry submitted the proposal to adjust the project's investment policy, the proposed completion time before December 31, 2025 was established on the basis of VEC organizing the selection of contractors in parallel with the implementation of investment policy adjustment procedures.

In fact, VEC issued the invitation to bid (E-HSMT) for package J3-1 on July 18, 2024 in the form of open domestic bidding via the National Bidding Network System. The implementation period is 13 months; the closing date for bidding is August 6, 2024.

Up to now, VEC has completed the bid evaluation, but has not been able to announce the results and negotiate and sign the contract due to waiting for approval of policy adjustments and investment project adjustments to use VEC's capital.

It is expected that the procedures for adjusting the investment policy will be completed by January 2025 and the procedures for adjusting the investment project will be completed by February 2025. On that basis, VEC will negotiate and sign a contract with the contractor to start construction in March 2025. With a construction period of 13 months, it is expected that the contractor will be able to complete the J3-1 package by April 2026.

"This is a construction package to complete Phuoc Khanh Bridge, a large cable-stayed bridge with the highest clearance in Vietnam (55m), so the construction of Vietnamese contractors may encounter difficulties.

Therefore, VEC proposed to adjust the project implementation time to September 30, 2026, 5 months more than the expected plan to accommodate unforeseen difficulties.

Adjusting the project implementation time to September 30, 2026 will also facilitate the completion of the XL-NG51 package," said the Ministry of Transport.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/vi-sao-dieu-chinh-thoi-gian-hoan-thanh-cao-toc-ben-luc-long-thanh-den-nam-2026-192241201100027174.htm