Proposal to upgrade Mai Son Expressway

Proposal to upgrade the Mai Son - National Highway 45 expressway to a full 4-lane scale.

The North-South Expressway Eastern section, Mai Son - National Highway 45, passing through Ninh Binh province, is 14 km long and was put into operation in April 2023. It has a limited 4-lane capacity, 17m wide, and does not have a continuous emergency stopping lane.

A section of the Mai Son - National Highway 45 expressway.

The People's Committee of Ninh Binh province has recently submitted a report to the Ministry of Transport on the investment and upgrading plan for phased expressways to achieve full capacity within Ninh Binh province.

The North-South Expressway Eastern section passing through Ninh Binh province has a total length of approximately 29 km and is being invested in by two component projects.

Specifically, the Cao Bo - Mai Son section, approximately 15 km long, was invested in by the Ninh Binh Department of Transport, commenced on December 2, 2019, and was completed and put into operation in February 2022; the Mai Son - National Highway 45 section, passing through Ninh Binh province, approximately 14 km long, was invested in by the Thang Long Project Management Board, Ministry of Transport, commenced in September 2020, and was completed and put into operation from April 2023.

The Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee stated that both of the aforementioned component projects have proven effective in terms of investment, contributing to ensuring traffic safety and reducing traffic congestion in Ninh Binh province, especially in Tam Diep City. They have also created momentum, attracting investors to industrial zones and urban areas, and contributing to the socio -economic development of the locality.

However, due to limited resources, the road was only built to a limited scale of 4 lanes, with an operating speed of 80-90 km/h depending on the section. Since its opening, the traffic volume on the route has been very high, reaching the design capacity and showing a tendency towards full capacity in the near future.

Furthermore, because the road lacks an emergency lane, traffic congestion can occur when vehicles break down, compromising traffic safety (several traffic accidents have already occurred on this route).

Currently, for the Cao Bo - Mai Son section, the Ministry of Transport has approved the investment plan to adjust and expand the scale from a limited 4 lanes to a full 6 lanes. The Ninh Binh Department of Transport is currently carrying out procedures to select contractors for surveying and project planning, with construction expected to start in 2024 and be completed in 2026.

To ensure traffic safety, alleviate traffic congestion, and address the shortcomings of the expressway project being developed in phases and to ensure its synchronized operation with the Cao Bo - Mai Son section, which is currently undergoing expansion to 6 lanes (expected to be completed in 2026), the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee requests the Ministry of Transport to compile a report for the Prime Minister to allow the expansion and completion of the Mai Son - National Highway 45 section from the Mai Son intersection to Thanh Hoa province, with a minimum scale of 4 lanes.

The Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee has requested the State road management agency to promptly develop a plan to organize traffic for vehicles with a load capacity exceeding 10 tons to allow them to travel on the Mai Son - National Highway 45 route, in order to alleviate traffic pressure on National Highway 1A section passing through Tam Diep City (currently, the Mai Son - National Highway 45 section of the expressway prohibits trucks over 10 tons).

The Mai Son - National Highway 45 expressway component project is invested by the Thang Long Project Management Board (Ministry of Transport), with a total investment of over 12,111 billion VND. This expressway is 63.37km long and passes through the territories of two provinces, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa.

In phase 1, the Mai Son - National Highway 45 expressway was invested with a limited 4-lane configuration, 17m wide (each lane 3.5m wide, without continuous emergency stopping lanes), and a maximum speed of 80km/h. In the completed phase, this expressway will be expanded to 6 lanes, with a roadbed width of 32.25m and a design speed of 120km/h.

It is known that in Official Dispatch No. 16/CD-TTg dated February 21, 2024, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Transport to take the lead and coordinate with relevant localities to urgently study investment and upgrading options for expressways that have been phased in to achieve full expressway status, in accordance with design standards and transport needs; focusing on investing in expressways with 2 lanes as soon as possible. At the same time, a comprehensive and synchronized review and supplementation of infrastructure along the route (such as intelligent transportation systems, rest stops, etc.) is required; a report should be submitted to the Prime Minister in March 2024.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/de-xuat-nang-cap-cao-toc-mai-son---quoc-lo-45-len-quy-mo-4-lan-xe-hoan-chinh-d210455.html