This Tet holiday will be much easier thanks to the highway having more rest stops.

During this Tet holiday, the North-South expressway from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is expected to have 12 rest stops.

The pair of temporary rest stops at Km47+500 on the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway will be put into operation from January 20th - Photo: DUC TRONG

Of these, 5 were previously operational, 3 were newly put into operation, and the rest were fully operational.

People returning to their hometowns or going on spring trips breathed a sigh of relief when the temporary rest stops along the highway were put into service. These rest stops will meet essential needs such as parking, restrooms, and quick food areas.

Twelve rest stops and temporary stations will be put into operation.

According to the Vietnam Expressway Authority, due to difficulties in land clearance, in addition to the 5 temporary rest stops currently operating on the North-South Expressway, it is expected that by the Lunar New Year of 2025, there will be 2 more temporary rest stops with essential facilities (restrooms, parking lots).

At the same time, it is planned to put into operation one temporary toll station on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway to ensure an average distance of about 60km/station, basically meeting the needs of vehicles.

Currently, traveling south from Hanoi on the North-South expressway, the first rest stop is located approximately 50km from Phap Van, at Km227 of the Cau Gie - Ninh Binh expressway (in Ha Nam province).

Further south, 53km away, is the Xuan Khiem rest stop (in Ninh Binh City) on the Cao Bo - Mai Son expressway. These are two rest stops that are fully equipped with amenities.

After traveling another 60km, there will be a temporary rest stop at Km329+700 on the Mai Son - National Highway 45 expressway. Following that, after another 37km, there will be another temporary rest stop at Km336 on the National Highway 45 - Nghi Son expressway.

Furthermore, along the 61km stretch, relevant units have added a temporary rest stop at Km427 of the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway to be operational before Tet. From there, vehicles traveling 51km south will have a temporary rest stop at Km478 of the Dien Chau - Bai Vot expressway before continuing their journey via National Highway 1.

In total, this Tet holiday, the highway from Hanoi to Ha Tinh has 6 rest stops, including 2 full-service rest stops and 4 temporary rest stops (on the following highways: Mai Son - National Highway 45, National Highway 45 - Nghi Son, Nghi Son - Dien Chau, Dien Chau - Bai Vot).

For the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, after leaving Ho Chi Minh City, the bus can stop at the rest stop at Km41+100 on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway.

After traveling another 54km, there will be a temporary rest stop at Km47 of the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway (expected to be operational from January 20th). Following another 77km, there will be a temporary rest stop at Km205 of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway (expected to be operational from January 20th).

Another 61km further there will be a temporary rest stop at Km144 on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway. The next 54km will have a temporary rest stop at Km90 on the Cam Lam - Vinh Hao expressway, and another 57km further there will be a temporary rest stop at Km33 on the Nha Trang - Cam Lam expressway.

Therefore, it is expected that the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang will have one full-service rest stop and five temporary rest stops during this Tet holiday.

With 3 already operational rest stops and temporary rest stops operating during the 2025 Lunar New Year, the average distance between rest stops on the North-South expressway is approximately 60km/stop, basically meeting the needs of vehicles.

A pair of temporary rest stops at Km47+500 on the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway - Photo: DUC TRONG

The rest stop project is delayed due to land acquisition and procedural issues.

According to the Vietnam Expressway Authority, 21 rest stops are currently being implemented as part of the North-South Expressway Eastern section projects for the 2017-2020 and 2021-2025 phases.

Eight rest stops on newly commissioned expressways, including Mai Son - National Highway 45, Nghi Son - Dien Chau, Dien Chau - Bai Vot, Nha Trang - Cam Lam, Cam Lam - Vinh Hao, Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet (2 stops), and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay, have had their investors selected and contracts signed with the Expressway Department in August 2024. The investors for these rest stops have contributed over 975 billion VND to the state budget.

However, by the end of December 2024, only 3 toll stations on the Mai Son - National Highway 45, Dien Chau - Bai Vot, and Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet (Km205+092) expressways had their land fully handed over, making them basically ready for implementation.

Two toll stations on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressways have had their land partially handed over; however, the land for the Nha Trang - Cam Lam, Cam Lam - Vinh Hao, and Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet (Km144+560) toll stations has not yet been handed over by the local authorities.

Given the situation, the two rest stops on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet (Km205+092) and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay (Km47) expressways must be constructed using a "work while waiting" approach to complete essential public service facilities (restrooms, parking lots) before the Lunar New Year 2025.

Due to difficulties in land clearance, it was impossible to fully complete essential public services at 8 rest stops before the Lunar New Year 2025. Therefore, on December 20, the Ministry of Transport issued a directive instructing investors to take over the previously temporary rest stops.

At the same time, the Ministry requested and added one temporary toll station (at Km427 of the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway) to be completed before January 20, 2025, to serve people during the Tet holiday in 2025.

According to the Highway Department, the first difficulty in investing in rest stops is land clearance. In fact, as of the end of December 2024, there were still 5 rest stops where the land had not been handed over or had only been partially handed over.

The second obstacle is procedural. According to regulations, in order to construct a rest stop, the investor must complete the procedures for approving the investment project and the design following the basic design phase.

However, the environmental impact assessment process is very time-consuming. In fact, some stations have completed their documentation but have not yet received approval, so there is insufficient basis to approve the project for implementation.

Furthermore, the Petrolimex consortium, which won the bid for the four rest stops, is a state-owned enterprise and must conduct a public bidding process to select consulting and construction contractors in accordance with the Law on Bidding.

Therefore, even though the site for the station has been handed over, this investor is still operating it temporarily and has not been able to start construction because there is no contractor yet.

Source: Vietnam Highway Authority - Graphics: N.KH.

60km

The average distance between rest stops on the North-South Expressway basically meets the needs of the people.

Investors are currently being selected for 13 rest stops on the remaining sections of the highway.

With 13 rest stops planned along the North-South expressway sections currently under construction, the Vietnam Expressway Authority announced that it is organizing a bidding process to select investors.

Drawing on the experience of the 8 rest stops currently under construction, project management boards are also coordinating with local authorities to expedite land clearance for the remaining 13 rest stops, ensuring that clean land is available immediately after the investor selection results are announced. To date, land handover has been completed for 2 out of 13 rest stops.

If all goes smoothly, the bid evaluation process, selection results assessment, and contract negotiations for the 13 rest stops are expected to be completed in January 2025.

At that time, the Highway Department will propose that the winning bidders shorten the construction schedule and strive to complete the essential public service facilities (toilets, parking lots) when the North-South Expressway projects in the East, phase 2021-2025, are put into operation.

The Dau Giay - Vinh Hao section now has a temporary rest stop, open since January 20th.

On the eastern sections of the North-South Expressway, during previous Tet holidays, people driving on the 200km stretch from Vinh Hao to Dau Giay experienced a frustrating situation due to the lack of rest stops.

This awkward situation has led locals to set up makeshift food stalls along the highway. Drivers risk stopping their vehicles in vacant lots to relieve themselves and eat.

With vehicles constantly coming and going, there are safety risks, littering, damage to traffic cones, and a loss of aesthetic appeal... This year, these urgent needs are being partially met as temporary rest stops are racing towards completion.

Over the past few days, reporters from Tuoi Tre newspaper have been returning to document the construction sites of temporary rest stops on the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay and Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressways, where workers are busy installing lighting, paving roads, cleaning up, and arranging stalls... in order to be ready to serve the public.

Authorities have granted permission for a temporary connection from the main line to the construction site, and have also placed speed limit signs when driving through this area.

Source: Vietnam Highway Authority - Graphics: N.KH.

Speaking at the construction site, a representative of the contractor building the temporary rest stop on the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway said that workers have been working 24/7 in recent days. According to this representative, the biggest difficulty is the slow process of receiving the land. Furthermore, the fact that the rest stop is far from residential areas means that installing the electricity and water systems takes a long time.

This temporary rest stop is built on a plot of land approximately 2 hectares on each side, at Km47+500, at the border between Binh Thuan and Dong Nai provinces. Driving from Ho Chi Minh City, about 50km past the toll booth on the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway, you will reach this rest stop.

According to the Thang Long Project Management Board, the land for this temporary rest stop was allocated during the construction of the main Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway. Due to changes in regulations for expressway rest stops later on, the area and scale were expanded (5 hectares on each side).

Since the remaining land has not yet been handed over and the construction procedures are not yet complete, the investor is building a temporary rest stop to serve the essential needs of the people.

This temporary structure will include parking, restrooms, and a food court. Each side of the station can accommodate approximately 300 cars and 5,000 people simultaneously.

From the aforementioned rest stop, driving approximately 70km north will lead you to the station located at Km205 of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway, Ham Thuan Bac district, Binh Thuan province. Similarly, this is also a temporary facility, serving the essential needs of the local people.

Mr. Pham Quoc Huy, the project manager of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway, said that when this toll station becomes operational, it will replace the station located at Km199 on the left side of the route.

According to Mr. Huy, this temporary rest stop will operate until a permanent rest stop is built, at which point it will be dismantled. When the permanent rest stop is completed, it will have full services such as refueling, charging stations, rest areas, dining areas, and restrooms.

According to the plan for the rest stop system, the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway will have two locations. In addition to the rest stop at Km205, another pair is planned to be built at Km144, Phong Phu commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province. Currently, land procedures are being processed for this location to hand over the land to the investor.

A working group from the Vietnam Expressway Department recently coordinated an inspection of the current status and progress of temporary rest stops on sections of the North-South Expressway in the East, with plans to finalize their opening to the public from January 20th.

Pay attention to refueling and charging.

Many rest stops along the highways are ready to serve people traveling during the Lunar New Year holiday - Photo: DUC TRONG

These temporary rest stops only provide essential services such as parking, restrooms, and quick meals; they do not yet have fuel stations or electric vehicle charging facilities.

Therefore, the investor's representative advises people to fully refuel and charge their vehicles before entering the expressway. Alternatively, people can travel to the interchanges and rest stops along the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway to refuel.

However, this rest stop has often been overcrowded, with people lining up to use the restroom, especially during major holidays.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tet-nay-nhe-nguoi-khi-cao-toc-co-nhieu-tram-dung-20250119081837477.htm