HCMC — The investor of the Hanoi–Bac Giang Expressway has proposed widening the road to 10 lanes under a public-private partnership (PPP) to cope with rising traffic volume.
Hanoi–Bac Giang BOT Investment JSC submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Construction and the Department for Roads of Vietnam, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The expressway currently sees about 53,500 vehicles daily, exceeding the 46,000-vehicle capacity outlined in the original BOT contract for 2022. Traffic has grown by around 11% annually over the past three years, the company said.
The investor said that the expressway is operating beyond its designed capacity, causing frequent congestion, safety risks, and higher logistics costs.
Under the national road development plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, the Hanoi–Bac Giang section is slated for an eight-lane upgrade. However, the investor is seeking approval to prepare a proposal to expand the section to 10 lanes to meet rising demand.
The Hanoi–Bac Giang Expressway was upgraded from National Highway 1 under a BOT contract. The VND4-trillion project stretches over 46 kilometers and was designed for a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour.
The road features four lanes between Bac Giang and Nhu Nguyet Bridge and another four-lane section from the bridge to Km159+258.
The expressway begins in Dinh Tri Ward, Bac Giang City, and ends in Phuc Loi Ward, Hanoi’s Long Bien District. It opened in April 2016 and began toll collection the following month under a 21-year contract.
The full Hanoi–Bac Giang–Lang Son corridor is planned to span 137 kilometers and have six lanes, according to the national transport plan.
