HCMC – Three sections of the eastern North-South expressway built under the public-private partnership (PPP) will be expanded, while 15 publicly funded sections are set to be converted to the same investment method, according to the Ministry of Construction.
The ministry has submitted investment plans to the prime minister, proposing to expand 18 expressway sections with a combined length of 1,144 kilometers. The project includes three sections currently operated under build-operate-transfer (BOT) contracts and 15 sections funded by the state budget.
The total estimated cost for the expansion is around VND152.1 trillion (US$6.2 billion), the Vietnam News Agency reported.
Most of the expressway sections were initially designed for six lanes, though many are currently operating with only four lanes and a maximum speed limit of 90 kilometers per hour. Expanding these sections and raising the speed limit to 120 kilometers per hour would improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and lower accident risks.
Ten domestic investors have expressed interest in participating in the project. They include Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment JSC (VIDIFI), Deo Ca Group, Son Hai Group, Truong Thinh Group, 194 Construction Investment Corporation, Phuong Thanh Transport Construction and Investment JSC, Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise, Rang Dong JSC, and Lizen JSC.
The eastern North-South expressway stretches 2,063 kilometers, linking the Huu Nghi border gate in Lang Son Province in the north with the ring road in Ca Mau City in the south. It consists of 39 sections.
