Hanoi (VNA) - Phased-investment routes must be completed to ensure investment efficiency and traffic safety, while boosting transport capacity and regional socio-economic growth.
Urgent expansion of phased investment expressways
According to Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh, the national expressway master plan comprises 43 routes with a combined length of 8,923km. Of this total, 3,345km are already in operation, 1,252km are under construction, and the remainder are in the investment preparation stage.
Due to limited resources between 2007 and 2023, the Ministry and local authorities implemented expressways built under phased investment schemes, initially with two lanes or limited four lanes, to match transport demand and available funding.
Currently, 2,801 km are being developed under this scheme, with public investment accounting for 76%. Approximately 2,107 km are already in use, including 548km of two-lane roads and 1,559 km of limited four-lane ones.
Most routes (75%) have already completed land clearance for their full 4-6 lane design. However, some sections like Hoa Lac-Hoa Binh and Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang only have land cleared for two or four limited lanes.
Minister Tran Hong Minh emphasised that rising transport demand and improved capital mobilisation now make expansion a practical necessity. He noted that upgrading these routes aligns with national policy and enhances safety to drive rapid, sustainable growth in the new era.
Nearly 500 trillion VND (about 20 billion USD) needed for expansion
The Ministry has outlined a comprehensive plan to complete the expansion of these expressways.
Expanding the 653km of two-lane expressways will require nearly 79.6 trillion VND (3.18 billion USD). Of this amount, about 49 trillion VND (1.96 billion USD) has been identified, leaving a funding gap of 30.6 trillion VND (1.22 billion USD) to be covered by the central budget during the 2026-2030 period.
Other projects like the Hoa Lac-Hoa Binh route are being prepared for public-private-partnership (PPP) investment, while six other routes totalling 298 km require over 30.6 trillion VND in central funding.
The Ministry estimated that expanding 2,148km of limited four-lane expressways to their full four-to eight-lane capacity would cost about 417.46 trillion VND (16.7 billion USD).
Ongoing projects include the Cao Bo-Mai Son section (public investment, due in 2026) and Trung Luong-My Thuan (PPP, due in 2028).
For the eastern section of the North-South Expressway, upgrading the 1,144km route between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to its full design capacity is estimated to cost 154.335 trillion VND (6.17 billion USD).
In the south, the Trung Luong-My Thuan section is being expanded via PPP, while the My Thuan-Can Tho segment is attracting investor interest. Other major projects, including Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3 and several regional expressways, are estimated to require more than 201.6 trillion VND (8.1 billion USD) in investment through a combination of public funding and PPP arrangements./.
