The move follows a proposal from Dong Nai authorities and was endorsed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday, according to the Government Office.

The emergency construction mechanism allows authorities to shorten certain procedures such as appraisal and bidding in order to accelerate project implementation, while still maintaining legal compliance, quality standards, and oversight responsibilities.

Under the plan, the Ministries of Construction and Finance, HCMC, and Dong Nai will study and implement the extension of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro in accordance with regulations while ensuring transparency and avoiding corruption, waste, or inefficiency during execution.

The government also asked HCMC authorities to work with relevant agencies to resolve issues involving contractors on the metro project and report matters beyond their authority to higher levels.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha also tasked Dong Nai officials with coordinating with the Ministries of Construction and Finance to propose special mechanisms for the metro extension project to Long Thanh airport.

The 19.7-kilometer Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line, HCMC’s first urban metro system, began operations in December 2024 after years of construction. The project cost more than VND43.7 trillion ($1.66 billion) and includes 14 stations, including three underground ones.

The line operates with 17 trains, each consisting of three carriages with capacity of around 930 passengers. In the initial phase, nine trains run daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., providing roughly 200 trips with intervals of 8-12 minutes. Travel time between Suoi Tien station in Thu Duc commune and Ben Thanh station in downtown city is about 30 minutes.

The metro extension plan comes as Vietnam accelerates work on Long Thanh airport, a major aviation hub expected to ease congestion at the HCMC-based Tan Son Nhat airport. In late February, PM Chinh instructed ministries and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to ensure the first phase of Long Thanh airport is completed in the first half of 2026.

Currently, transport links between HCMC and Long Thanh airport rely mainly on road networks, particularly the frequently congested HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway. The roughly 40-kilometer route from downtown city to the airport is expected to face heavier traffic once the airport becomes operational.