HCMC – Speed limits for sleeper buses and trucks of over 3.5 tons will be reduced to 80 kph from 90 kph on several North–South expressway sections under a pilot program launched by the Department for Roads of Vietnam.
The department, under the Ministry of Construction, has authorized regional road management units to adjust maximum speeds on phased-investment expressways built between 2017 and 2020.
The three- to six-month pilot will apply to four-lane expressways with discontinuous emergency stopping lanes that are currently capped at 90 kph.
Passenger cars, buses with up to 29 seats, and trucks of less than 3.5 tons will continue to travel at 90 kph on standard sections.
The 80 kph limit will apply to sleeper buses, buses with more than 29 seats, and trucks weighing 3.5 tons or more.
In Road Management Area II, the pilot will cover the Nghi Son–Dien Chau, Dien Chau–Bai Vot, Bai Vot–Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi–Vung Ang, Vung Ang–Bung, Bung–Van Ninh, and Van Ninh–Cam Lo sections.
In Road Management Area I, the adjustment will apply to the Mai Son–National Highway 45, National Highway 45–Nghi Son, and Nghi Son–Dien Chau sections.
The department will also review and lower speed limits for all vehicles on expressway sections with technical constraints, including steep gradients, surface rutting, deterioration, or frequent fog and limited visibility.
More than 3,345 kilometers of expressways have been completed and put into operation nationwide, according to the agency. Many phased projects were built under national standard TCCS 42:2022/TCĐBVN, with four lanes and discontinuous emergency stopping areas.
The current 90 kph limit complies with that standard. The department noted that some countries operate expressways with lane widths of 3.5–3.6 meters at speeds of up to 100 kph or higher.
Recent traffic accidents on phased expressways mainly involved trucks and passenger buses. Reported violations included failure to maintain safe distances, improper stopping and parking, lack of warning signals, and loss of speed control.
