In mid-November, construction crews were working at full capacity on roads connecting to Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai, seeking to complete essential infrastructure ahead of the airport's planned opening in late December.
The HCM City-Long Thanh Expressway expansion is considered the most important project, as an estimated 90 per cent of airport passengers are expected to travel between HCM City and Long Thanh.
Contractors are accelerating the remaining work, including asphalt paving. After more than 15 months of construction, the project is 85 per cent complete, with work continuing around the clock.
More than 1,500 workers and heavy machinery have been deployed across 41 construction sites covering roads, bridges and girder production.
Pham Thanh Hai, acting director of the Southern Expressway Project Management Unit (SEPMU), which represents the investor, said contractors were prioritising materials, equipment and funding to ensure the project meets its December deadline.
The expanded expressway will serve as a key transport corridor between HCM City and Dong Nai, easing pressure on existing infrastructure.
The nearly 22-kilometre expansion comprises two construction packages. Package 1 covers approximately 10 kilometres, including elevated road sections and the Long Thanh 2 Bridge.
Under Package 2, contractors have organised 39 construction teams to work on roads, bridges and girders.
They are accelerating crushed-stone base construction, asphalt paving and completion of elevated sections, with several stretches already paved.
At Long Thanh Bridge, workers are constructing cantilever segments of the main span, aiming to connect most of them in December.
Work on the approach bridge includes completing the bridge deck on the Dong Nai side and accelerating construction of piers, pier caps and girder installation on the HCM City side.
The bridge is scheduled for completion in February 2027.
At the Long Thanh interchange, contractors have finished installing girders for the elevated section of the expressway expansion, with asphalt paving expected by the end of November.
Meanwhile, Road 25C, which will link HCM City's Ring Road 3 directly to Long Thanh International Airport's main entrance, is also nearing completion.
According to Dong Nai's transport infrastructure project management board, the first phase of Road 25C between National Highway 51 and Provincial Road 19 is 83 per cent complete.
Vehicles travelling from the HCM City-Long Thanh Expressway will be able to use Ring Road 3 and Road 25C to reach the airport's main entrance directly.
Investors and contractors are working to bring the connecting roads into operation in time for Long Thanh International Airport's planned commercial launch on December 24.