Ministry eyes over 9,000 km of expressway by 2050

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Transport is striving to have 5,000 km of expressway by 2030 and over 9,000 km by 2050, according to Minister Nguyen Van The.

According to the ministry’s statistics released at a working session on road infrastructure planning on March 17, Vietnam is currently operating1,046 km of expressways and building an additional 900 km, equal to 90 percent of the planning scheme.

Experts said that the linkage between the national road system and other means of transportation has yet to meet requirements. Several seaports, railways and airports, for example, do not connect with expressways yet.

Speaking at the event, The emphasised the policy of reducing the market share of road transportation, and increasing the market shares of waterway, railway, aviation and seaway transportation.

Accordingly, he requested reducing public investments in roads and increasing in public investments in other means of transportation.

The minister also stressed the need to look back on shortcomings that make the ministry fail to reach 2,500km of expressways by 2020, including slow public investment disbursement and slow site clearance.

To achieve the goal of 5,000 km of expressways by 2030, it is necessary to have breakthrough policies to develop expressway infrastructure and gain the Prime Minister’s allowance to complete all site clearance before building investment projects./.