Nearly 830 trillion VND will be used to build 3,096 km of the North-South expressway.
The Vietnam Road Administration has just submitted a proposal to adjust the planning of Vietnam's expressway network until 2020 and the orientation for 2030, according to which 829,235 billion VND is needed to build 3,096 km of roads.
According to the master plan for the development of Vietnam's expressway network until 2020 and orientation until 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 326/QD-TTg, 2,703 km of expressways will be built by 2020.
To date, Vietnam has approximately 800 km of completed expressways, 513 km of expressways under construction, and about 654 km of the North-South expressway (eastern section) for which funding has been secured and is expected to be completed before 2020, as per Resolution No. 52/2017/QH14.
The total length of expressways expected to be completed before 2020 is approximately 1,913 km, reaching 70.7% of the total length of expressways to be completed by 2020 as planned.
Regarding investment capital, it currently comes mainly from state budget sources such as ODA loans, government bonds, and the sale of toll collection rights.
 |
| Nearly 830 trillion VND is needed to build over 3,000 km of expressways. |
However, collecting tolls to recoup the investment for these expressways is very difficult. According to Resolution No. 52 of the National Assembly, the North-South expressway projects in the east will be invested in under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which encourages foreign investors to participate in the projects.
Faced with difficulties in securing investment capital for the North-South expressway projects and challenges in recouping those investments, the Vietnam Road Administration acknowledges that the actual implementation of expressway construction projects has not progressed according to the schedule set out in the plan.
Given the socio-economic development, the current state of motorized vehicle development, and the ongoing investment in transportation infrastructure, to meet long-term vision, the projected traffic volume on the eastern North-South expressway at some gateways to major cities and economic and political centers tends to increase compared to previous forecasts; increased traffic volume is expected in some transport corridors, and the construction of additional expressways may be considered.
According to the proposal of the Vietnam Road Administration, the North-South expressway will consist of two routes: the eastern North-South expressway with 27 sections, totaling 1,827 km in length; and the western North-South expressway with 24 sections, totaling 1,269 km in length.
Specifically, the northern regional highway system comprises 16 routes with a total length of 1,683 km; the central and Central Highlands regional highway system comprises 4 routes with a total length of 316 km; and the southern regional highway system comprises 7 routes with a total length of 1,048 km. The total capital for constructing these 3,096 km of highways is estimated at approximately 829,235 billion VND.
During the implementation of the plan, based on actual resource and transportation needs, investment in several expressways will be considered, with priority given to the following routes: Lai Chau - Bao Ha (Lao Cai); Son La - Dien Bien; connecting from Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway to Ha Giang; Pleiku - Le Thanh border gate (Gia Lai); Chon Thanh - Hoa Lu border gate (Binh Phuoc); Cao Bo (Ninh Binh) - Thinh Long (Nam Dinh) interchange; and Trung Luong - Binh Lieu.