Project Management Board 6 proposes to expand the North-South expressway through Ha Tinh to 6 lanes

(Baohatinh.vn) - Project Management Board 6 proposed expanding 18 sections of the North-South Expressway to 6 lanes, including the section through Ha Tinh, to meet transportation needs, promote economic development and ensure traffic safety.

The proposed North-South expressway sections are being invested in and expanded to meet the expected rapid increase in transportation demand in the coming time. Resource conditions are not a major obstacle while the requirement for the complete, synchronous and modern completion of this expressway is the most important traffic axis of the country.

18 component projects need to be expanded

The report on the investment research policy to expand the North-South expressway sections of Project Management Board 6 ( Ministry of Construction ) said that according to the plan, the North-South expressway in the East has its starting point at Huu Nghi border gate (Lang Son province), its ending point in Ca Mau city, with a total length of about 2,063km (accounting for 22% of the total length of the expressway network), with a scale of 6-12 lanes. To date, the entire route has been put into operation for 1,206km, and is under construction for 834km.

The current North-South Eastern Expressway has 1,163km of limited 4-lane investment (roadbed width 17m); 99km is being exploited with a complete 4-lane scale; 113km is being invested in expanding the expressway to 4-6 lanes.

To meet the transportation demand and the ability to balance resources, in the immediate period (2017-2020), the Government proposed an investment scope of about 654km of sections with high transportation demand, with a basic scale of 4 limited lanes and intermittent emergency stops; in the case of investment with a complete scale of 4 lanes, the State capital support level is about 86,100 billion VND, exceeding the project's balancing capacity of about 55,000 billion VND at the time of research.

By 2021, in order to soon connect the North-South Eastern Expressway, the National Assembly has decided to invest in the remaining sections, with a limited 4-lane scale. Thus, the National Assembly has decided to invest in a total of about 1,178km with a limited 4-lane scale on the North-South Eastern Expressway (including 15km of the Cao Bo-Mai Son section being invested in to expand to 6 lanes).

“The completion of the entire North-South Eastern Expressway by 2025 will promote the connection of economic and political centers and key economic regions, gradually perfecting the infrastructure system to create a spillover effect to promote socio-economic development, ensure national defense and security, and contribute to the implementation of strategic breakthroughs set forth by the 13th National Congress of Delegates,” emphasized the representative of Project Management Board 6.

A highway project has basically completed the main route and is about to be put into operation on April 30. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Pointing out that the current socio-economic development orientation of our country is different from the time of deciding on the investment policy for the Eastern North-South Expressway, Project Management Board 6 recognized that the demand for transportation in the coming time is expected to increase rapidly, resource conditions are not a major obstacle while the requirement for complete, synchronous and modernization of this expressway is the most important traffic axis of the country, so it is necessary to consider expanding the Eastern North-South Expressway.

18 projects/component projects proposed for expansion investment include: Mai Son-National Highway 45, National Highway 45-Nghi Son, Nghi Son-Dien Chau, Dien Chau-Bai Vot, Nha Trang-Cam Lam, Cam Lam-Vinh Hao, Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet-Dau Giay, Bai Vot-Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi-Vung Ang, Vung Ang-Bung, Bung-Van Ninh, Van Ninh-Cam Lo, Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon-Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon-Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh-Van Phong and Van Phong-Nha Trang.

To ensure feasibility, accelerate implementation progress, complete synchronous exploitation, and take advantage of the conditions of ongoing projects, Project Management Board 6 recommends choosing the form of public investment to expand the planned sections.

Many favorable factors for expansion

Project Management Board 6 also pointed out that the investment in expanding the North-South expressway in the East will improve the exploitation capacity and enhance traffic safety, because the exploitation of some expressway routes with investment phases (4 limited lanes without continuous emergency stopping strips) has caused some problems.

In addition, expanding the cross-section to highway standards helps increase the operating speed to 120km/h instead of the current operating speed of 90km/h due to insufficient cross-section width and road surface roughening layer...

According to statistics from the Ministry of Construction, to date, the country has more than 2,000km of expressways, with more than 1,800km under construction (of which more than 1,000km will be completed by the end of 2025 to achieve the goal of more than 3,000km), and capital has been allocated to deploy more than 500km.

“Thus, we only need to study and prepare for investment and put into operation about 700km in the 2026-2030 period to complete the set target of 5,000km. This task is completely feasible and the Ministry of Construction is developing a medium-term public investment plan for the 2026-2030 period to report to competent authorities for consideration and decision,” said the leader of Project Management Board 6.

Assess the readiness of the site, construction conditions, investment procedure conditions, measures and solutions for implementation, according to Project Management Board 6, regarding the sequence, procedures, and sections of phase 1 that have been completed and will be expanded for investment according to independent component projects after the policy is approved.

The two expressways Bai Vot - Ham Nghi and Ham Nghi - Vung Ang were just opened to traffic on April 19, 2025.

After the completion and operation of the 4-lane phase 2 sections, the project will be adjusted to continue to expand to 6 lanes. These expressways under construction can take advantage of the available means, machinery, human resources, and camps at the construction site to reduce costs related to mobilization and dissolution of the construction site compared to later investments; take advantage of the available material mines that are supplying the project because the procedures for closing/opening construction material mines take a lot of time and cost, and in the case of expansion in the next phase, these procedures and costs will arise.

To facilitate construction work, speed up investment progress, disbursement, and meet transportation needs, Project Management Board 6 initially proposed that the Ministry of Construction consider the North-South Expressway in the East, Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City section (including 18 sections/component projects), with an investment length of about 1,144km, and a preliminary total investment of about 152,135 billion VND.

Sections that have not been studied for expansion, such as the My Thuan-Can Tho-Ca Mau section (149km long), currently have low transportation demand; difficult construction conditions; and current shortage of materials will affect progress and increase investment costs. Expansion investment will be implemented as a separate project.

Project Management Board 6 proposed that the Ministry of Construction recommend that the Prime Minister direct the Ministry of Finance to review and evaluate the ability to balance capital sources as a basis for reporting to competent authorities for consideration and decision./.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/bql-du-an-6-de-xuat-mo-rong-cao-toc-bac-nam-qua-ha-tinh-len-6-lan-xe-post286458.html