Ready conditions to implement the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway expansion project

Faced with this situation, the Government has assigned the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) to be the investor of the project to expand the expressway section through Lao Cai province to 4 lanes. The project is required to start in the second half of 2025 and be completed by the end of 2026.

At the working session with Lao Cai provincial leaders on July 9, Mr. Truong Viet Dong - Chairman of the Board of Members of VEC said that the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway section passing through Lao Cai province was expanded to a length of more than 121km (from Km123+080 to Km244+155).

The project has been approved by the Prime Minister and is urgently completing procedures to prepare for construction at the end of this year, due to urgent requirements to serve transportation needs.

According to statistics, in the first quarter of 2025, the expressway served about 5.5 million vehicles. Traffic congestion often occurs on holidays, New Year's Eve, and weekends, affecting traffic safety and route operations. The strategic role of the route is further affirmed as part of the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor.

Mr. Vuong Trinh Quoc - Head of the Lao Cai Economic Zone Management Board said: "The expansion of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway (section through Lao Cai province) will help increase transportation capacity, shorten time, reduce logistics costs and enhance competitiveness for the Lao Cai border trade area. This is also a condition for implementing Decision 1620/QD-TTg dated December 27, 2022 on building Lao Cai into a center connecting trade between Vietnam with ASEAN and the Southwest region of China".

“According to statistics, in 2024, the value of imported and exported goods through border gates in the province will reach more than 3.3 billion USD (up 60% compared to the previous year). Particularly at Lao Cai - Ha Khau International Border Gate, it will reach 2.5 billion USD (up 90%). In the coming time, when the Ban Qua - Coc My - Trinh Tuong logistics and supporting industry zone with a scale of more than 330 hectares comes into operation, the demand for transporting goods will increase even more, so the expansion of the highway is extremely important,” Mr. Quoc added.

It is known that VEC has completed the pre-feasibility study report and has been assigned to implement the project according to regulations on public investment. It is expected that the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway section (section passing through Lao Cai province) with a length of more than 121 km will be upgraded to 4 lanes, 24m wide road surface, and a median strip in sync with the previously expanded sections. In addition, the project will also build a new bridge unit on the left side of the route, study the expansion of a new tunnel unit, add a surveillance camera system, signs, guardrails, drainage, etc. to meet modern expressway standards.

Mr. Nguyen The Cuong - Deputy General Director of VEC said: "Although there is a technical plan, the project still needs close coordination from the province and related departments and branches in site clearance, planning for residential access roads, environmental control and handling of situations arising during construction. One of the major problems that need to be focused on and resolved is the arrangement of access roads and residential roads in densely populated areas or production areas (these are problems from phase I) in the sections that need to be supplemented, extending from Km139+660 to Km242+000 on both sides of the route.

At the recent working session with VEC leaders, Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee - Tran Huy Tuan requested VEC to study and report to the Government to increase the scale to 6 lanes, in accordance with Decision 1454/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on Road Network Planning to 2030, with a vision to 2050.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also affirmed: Lao Cai Province will direct localities and relevant agencies to coordinate in solving issues during the implementation process, such as site clearance, arrangement of access roads for people, sources of construction materials and material gathering areas, etc.

According to Mr. Tran Minh Sang - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lao Cai province, when implementing the project to expand the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway (section through Lao Cai province), the site clearance work was generally favorable because most of the expanded area was traffic land or public land, without the need to adjust the annual land use planning.

However, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of the province also requested that VEC should soon demarcate the land acquisition area, publicize information and coordinate with people to dismantle their assets. In addition, the current source of land for leveling only meets about half of the demand. Therefore, VEC needs to proactively survey and identify additional mining sites to coordinate with the commune authorities and relevant agencies to have additional plans to avoid the shortage of construction materials.

Not only serving the immediate needs, the synchronous investment in infrastructure according to 6-lane highway standards will be in line with the national development strategy in the period of deep integration. When completed on schedule by the end of 2026, this highway will play a strategic role in the development of the border trade area, making Lao Cai an important connection center between Vietnam and China and the ASEAN region.

Presented by: Hoang Thu

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/san-sang-cac-dieu-kien-de-trien-khai-du-an-mo-rong-cao-toc-noi-bai-lao-cai-post649194.html