Prime Minister inspects Long Thanh airport project construction site (Photo: VGP)

On the afternoon of March 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the construction site of several key transport infrastructure projects, including Long Thanh International Airport, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway, and T1 and T2 routes connecting Long Thanh Airport with National Highway 51 and Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway.

Accompanying the Prime Minister were Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh, leaders of ministries, branches, central and local agencies.

Long Thanh International Airport (Dong Nai) is a national key project with a total capital of about 109,000 billion VND in phase 1.

According to reports from relevant units, component projects 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this project are currently being urgently implemented. Of which, the construction output of runways, taxiways, and aircraft parking lots has reached 76.34%; it is expected that the runways and taxiways will be completed and put into technical operation before April 30, 2025.

The Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway project started construction in June 2023, nearly 54 km long, with a scale of 4-6 lanes, with a total investment of 17,800 billion VND. Up to now, the 19.5 km section of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway through Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has completed site clearance, the construction volume has reached 85%, and is expected to open to traffic on April 30, 2025. The construction progress of the 2 component projects through Dong Nai is slower.

Regarding the T1 and T2 traffic routes connecting to Long Thanh airport, the output has reached nearly 76% so far, and it is expected that the T1 route will be technically opened to traffic on April 30, 2025, the T2 route will be completed in July 2025, all intersections will be completed, fully accepted, and put into use on September 2, 2025 (3 months ahead of schedule).

Speaking at a working session at the Long Thanh airport construction site, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reiterated the goal of basically completing the airport by December 31, 2025 at the latest; if the progress is not guaranteed, the personnel will be replaced. At the same time, when the airport is completed, the connecting traffic projects must also be completed.

For component project 2, the Prime Minister requested that the progress set for the bidding packages not be delayed. For component project 1 (headquarters of agencies), other ministries and branches basically met the schedule. The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to fulfill its commitment to complete the quarantine agency headquarters project by the end of 2025. If it is not completed, it will continue to review and handle responsibilities with the spirit of clearly defining people, clearly defining work, clearly defining progress, clearly defining responsibilities, and clearly defining products.

The Prime Minister also directed that once the airport is completed, the connecting transport projects must also be completed. In particular, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction to immediately research and find solutions to build a subway from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Long Thanh Airport.