Highways go ahead, rest stops lag behind.

While highway construction is being accelerated with the goal of reaching 3,000 km by the end of 2025, rest stop projects seem to be lagging behind. Many obstacles related to land acquisition and implementation procedures need to be overcome to ensure that rest stops are put into operation in conjunction with the highway network.

The rest stop at Km427+035 on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway is currently a temporary rest stop. Photo: Huu Quyet/TTXVN

Along the entire Eastern North-South Expressway, there are 24 newly constructed rest stops. To date, contracts have been signed with investors for 21 stops; the remaining 3 are in the process of completing investment procedures. Of the 21 contracted stops, 16 are under construction; of these, 5 have completed foundation work, while the rest are mainly in the material gathering and site leveling stages. Additionally, 5 stops have not yet begun construction due to newly signed contracts or delays in land handover.

According to the Vietnam Road Administration, the investment in rest stops is an urgent requirement to serve the public and facilitate toll collection on state-invested expressways. However, the overall progress is currently behind schedule.

One of the main reasons is the change in the scale of investment for rest stops. Previously, each rest stop only had an area of ​​about 1 hectare, but according to Decision No. 938/QD-BGTVT dated July 31, 2023, on approving the network of rest stops on the Eastern North-South Expressway, the required scale has increased to 3-5 hectares to meet service needs. This has prolonged the adjustment procedures, while many new land regulations have also created difficulties in land clearance in localities.

Some rest stop projects are progressing slowly mainly due to obstacles in land clearance, delays by local authorities in handing over land to investors, and a lack of cleared land, which affects the completion of construction items.

Specifically, at the Km144+560 rest stop, part of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet component project, by October 2025, the local authorities had only handed over more than 1.7 hectares out of a total of 10.8 hectares. Similarly, Khanh Hoa province has not yet handed over the entire land area at the Km33+930 rest stop (Nha Trang - Cam Lam project) or the Km90+900 rest stop (Cam Lam - Vinh Hao project), affecting the construction progress of the investors.

Recently, at the 21st meeting of the State Steering Committee for National Key Projects and Transport Sector Projects, the Minister of Construction requested localities such as Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, and Dong Nai to definitively resolve outstanding issues and obstacles in order to hand over the remaining land for rest stops on the Eastern North-South Expressway by November 2025.

The construction of rest stops aims to serve the essential needs of commuters on the national highway. Slow construction progress not only affects the investor's reputation but also directly impacts the goal of developing integrated infrastructure and services on the North-South expressway.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thach, from the Vietnam Road Safety Association, emphasized that rest stops must be considered a road safety project. Therefore, when constructing them, investors need to implement all essential components simultaneously.

"If funding is a concern, priority should be given to building basic facilities such as restrooms, gas stations, and areas for drivers to check their vehicles... For rest stops in areas with low traffic density and no commercial potential, the State should directly manage and provide essential services," Mr. Thach suggested.

Speaking with a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency (TTXVN), Deputy Director of the Vietnam Road Administration Nguyen Thanh Hoai said: The Vietnam Road Administration, along with project management boards under the Ministry of Construction, are striving to accelerate progress and complete the rest stops by the end of 2025. Investors are actively implementing the construction of rest stops on the North-South expressways.

“Initially, by the end of 2025, the access roads, parking lots, and restrooms will be completed. By the first quarter of 2026, the service, technical, food and beverage areas, gas stations, and charging stations will be completed… ensuring smooth, safe, and efficient traffic flow along the entire expressway, while also providing convenience for road users,” Deputy Director Nguyen Thanh Hoai informed.

The Vietnam Road Administration also instructed the Appraisal Department to strengthen on-site inspections and supervision, promptly detect and resolve difficulties for contractors; and at the same time, required investors to commit to specific monthly progress schedules, assigning responsibility to the head of each project for each rest stop.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/cao-toc-chay-truoc-tram-dung-nghi-cham-nhip-20251117085124031.htm