Review and increase traffic speed on the Northern Expressway

The Ministry of Transport has just issued a document requesting road management units and project investors to review and adjust the maximum speed on 4-lane expressways (2 lanes in each direction) that are about to be put into operation and exploited at 90km/hour.

Currently, 4-lane highways in Vietnam have a maximum speed limit of 80km/h.

However, according to the Basic Standards for Expressways - Design and Traffic Organization in the Construction Investment Phase issued by the Vietnam Road Administration (now the Vietnam Road Administration) on June 22, 2022, the speed limit of 4-lane expressways can be changed more flexibly.

Specifically, the regulation allows “the selection of operating speed will be decided by the competent authority in the traffic organization plan. The permitted operating speed depends on the actual condition of the road, weather conditions, traffic conditions... In all cases, the maximum operating speed should not exceed 90 km/hour.”

Therefore, to ensure consistency and synchronization in design and traffic organization, the Ministry of Transport requires the Department of Construction Investment Management, the Vietnam Expressway Administration, Project Management Boards, and Departments of Transport of localities to evaluate and ensure compliance with the operating speed during the investment and construction of projects or adjust technical solutions if necessary such as: Acceleration and deceleration lanes; safety distance, traffic safety system to be able to put the above-mentioned expressway projects and works into operation at a speed of 90km/hour.

Event - Reviewing the increase in traffic speed on the North-South Expressway to 90km/h — Four-lane highways currently have a maximum speed limit of 80km/h (Photo: Pham Tung).

Based on the review results of the design consultant and traffic safety audit consultant, the competent units or reports to the competent authority shall supplement and adjust the design of the project's construction items (if necessary), ensuring that when the expressway project with 4 motor lanes (2 lanes on each side) is put into operation with a speed of 90km/h, it is safe and synchronous on the North-South expressway in the East.

The Ministry of Transport requires that when submitting to competent authorities for approval of traffic organization plans, including recommendations on the operating speed of projects, especially projects that have been put into operation or projects that are preparing for acceptance and put into operation on April 30, 2023 such as Cao Bo - Mai Son, Mai Son - National Highway 45, Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao, consulting units that develop traffic organization plans, traffic safety audit consultants, and investors need to analyze and specifically evaluate the feasibility of safety measures in sync with operating speeds, and have specific recommendations on operating speeds on the route, as a basis for competent authorities to consider and approve.

Thus, with the request of the Ministry of Transport, a series of 4-lane expressway projects that are about to be completed such as Mai Son - National Highway 5, Dau Giay - Phan Thiet, Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao and expressways that have been put into operation such as Cao Bo - Mai Son and Trung Luong - My Thuan will be able to travel at a maximum speed of 90km/hour .

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