The Dien Chau - Bai Vot expressway is preparing for official operation.

The output of the contract packages reached 100%.

The Dien Chau – Bai Vot expressway project has a total investment of VND 11,157.82 billion, of which approximately VND 4,461.80 billion is BOT capital. The route is being constructed by a consortium of contractors including: Hoa Hiep Co., Ltd., CIENCO4 Group Joint Stock Company, Nui Hong Investment Co., Ltd., Truong Son Construction Corporation, and VINA2 Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company. The total length of the route is 49.3 km, passing through the districts of Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, and Hung Nguyen in Nghe An province (44.4 km) and Duc Tho district in Ha Tinh province (4.9 km).

To date, the cumulative output of the project has reached VND 8,595.1/8,595 billion (100% of the contract) and an estimated VND 73 billion in additional work outside the contract. Specifically, 4 construction packages have been completed at 100% of their value. The project enterprise has disbursed VND 8,062.402 billion for the project.

The project has completed the entire main route, and the road has been in temporary operation since June 30, 2024. However, some additional items have arisen at the site due to local requirements outside the contract. The enterprise has coordinated with relevant parties to resolve these issues. The project enterprise has also coordinated with the Ministry of Transport, the Highway Department, the Construction Investment Management Department, and Project Management Board 6 to finalize the BOT contract documents and appendices.

Thoroughly prepare the conditions for official operation.

Mr. Giap Van Binh, Deputy General Director of Phuc Thanh Hung Joint Stock Company - the project enterprise, said: Before toll collection begins, the Ministry of Transport will issue a decision granting permission. At this time, the unit continues to carry out maintenance, upkeep, and operation work on the main route that has been open to traffic since June 30, 2024.
The unit has coordinated with relevant agencies to compensate for and rectify the issues caused by the contractors' construction process. In addition, it has completed the procedures and reports to organize the final acceptance of the project for commissioning and to carry out the procedures for officially starting toll collection; and implemented the handover plan to the local authorities and the Vietnam Road Administration for overpasses, pedestrian underpasses, level crossings, etc.

The project enterprise has also signed contracts for construction, installation, and operation supervision with the following units: It has hired a joint venture of the Institute of Science and Technology of Transport, the Bridge and Tunnel Design Consulting Joint Stock Company, and the Nghe An Consulting Company No. 6 to supervise each section. It has also signed contracts with units responsible for checkpoints, road patrols, and promptly handling any issues arising on the route, such as spilled goods and traffic accidents, to ensure safety and protect assets.

Although no fees have been collected yet, the cost of hiring security personnel for the route has reached nearly 500 million VND per month over the past six months. The unit has also focused on investing in and installing a toll collection system with modern equipment and machinery to ensure non-stop toll collection for vehicles traveling on the expressway.

Toll collection will only begin after all procedures, inspections, and trial runs have been completed satisfactorily. The toll rates were agreed upon in a contract with the Ministry of Transport prior to construction, for each phase.

Mr. Giap Van Binh also noted that vehicles entering the expressway must purchase a non-stop toll collection card. Toll stations currently do not accept cash, and vehicles that have not purchased a non-stop toll collection card will not be allowed to use the expressway due to regulations stipulated in Decree No. 32/2014/ND-CP.

Accordingly, vehicles must affix non-stop toll collection tags to their windshields so that information can be scanned and processed at toll stations, facilitating smooth traffic flow. The collection of service fees for the use and operation of expressways has been regulated: From July 15, 2023, for expressways...Road usage fees must be collected through electronic toll collection (ETC). People can affix ETC tags at toll stations, at authorized dealers, or affix them themselves at home.

The Dien Chau – Bai Vot expressway will collect tolls for a period of 16 years and 6 months, starting from the date the authorities authorized the collection. According to the construction contractors, previously, due to limited transportation options, some BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) routes often faced public protests and refusal to pay tolls because the toll booths were located on existing roads. Now, people and vehicles have more choices; if they don't use the expressway, they can still use the old roads with the designated exits indicated on the signposts.

The Ministry of Transport stated that while awaiting the completion of investment and operation of rest stops, it has directed relevant agencies and units to organize eight temporary rest stops along the Eastern North-South Expressway that currently lacks them. Specifically, on the section from Hanoi to Vinh, in addition to the two existing rest stops on the Hanoi-Ninh Binh section, three temporary rest stops have been established from Mai Son (Ninh Binh province) to Vinh (Nghe An province); and on the section from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, five temporary rest stops have been arranged, including three in the direction from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City and two in the direction from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang.

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