The project has a total investment of up to 25,550 billion VND. More importantly, the expressway will open up an international trade corridor, connecting from Lach Huyen port (Hai Phong) through China and Kazakhstan to Europe. Localities such as Cao Bang and Lang Son, located along the route, will have their competitiveness enhanced and new development momentum created. Upon completion, travel time from Hanoi to Cao Bang will be significantly shortened, while also reducing traffic congestion on National Highway 4A.
Many unprecedented solutions.
The Dong Dang-Tra Linh expressway passes through an area with rugged terrain, complex geological conditions, and harsh weather. In 2025, exceptionally heavy and prolonged rainfall significantly impacted the construction timeline. This reality prompted investors, project companies, and contractors to be flexible and proactive, applying many innovative solutions to the project. Since its commencement, the construction site, spanning the two provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang , has rarely seen a day without the sound of machinery. After more than 700 days and nights of "three shifts, four teams," the units established the milestone of opening the first phase of the expressway on December 19, 2025.
To meet the project completion deadline for the 136th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 2026), the Government has launched the "Dong Khe Campaign 2026" at the project site. The construction site mobilized over 1,400 pieces of equipment and machinery, along with 3,000 officials, engineers, and workers, organizing construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams," simultaneously deploying over 200 construction teams, focusing on addressing critical path items such as roadbeds, bridges, tunnels, culverts, etc.
Military Region 1 deployed over 500 officers and soldiers to support the project's construction, addressing a long-standing labor shortage. With renewed vigor from the military, the "Dong Khe Campaign 2026" has significantly accelerated the project's progress. To date, the completed output has reached approximately 8,500/11,470 billion VND, equivalent to about 75% of the contract value.
Implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, in a context where mechanisms and policies are still being perfected, this project can be considered a "pilot" project with many solutions being applied for the first time. This is one of the first transportation projects implemented under Decree 63/2018/ND-CP and subsequently transitioned to the PPP Law, leading to numerous obstacles regarding procedures, funding, and financial plans.
Choosing the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model has resulted in significant savings for the state budget, estimated at over 10,000 billion VND, including both the investor's capital contribution and the operating and maintenance costs throughout the project's lifespan.
According to Mr. Dang Tien Thang, General Director of Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway Joint Stock Company (the project enterprise), the company is proactively coordinating with Cao Bang province and relevant units to review and complete procedures in accordance with regulations. The company also requested that relevant authorities allocate sufficient state budget funds according to the schedule, expedite the project adjustment procedures to the complete scale, and continue to cooperate in land clearance to accelerate progress. “For PPP projects in special areas such as mountainous and border regions, a sufficiently flexible mechanism is needed to ensure both financial feasibility and allow adjustments to suit the actual terrain, geology, and traffic volume,” Mr. Dang Tien Thang proposed.
Ahead of the phase 1 opening on May 19th and its planned operation in 2026, the workload for the engineering and construction teams is immense. More than 50km of asphalt concrete and crushed stone base courses remain to be completed, along with 62 bridges and other supporting infrastructure. The situation is further complicated by the ongoing fuel price surge (diesel prices have increased by over 60%), leading to unstable fuel and material supplies and significantly impacting project construction.
A model project of PPP cooperation.
During a site inspection in January 2026, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh highly praised the simultaneous construction of two phases at the project. This approach demonstrates the ability to organize the construction site scientifically, bringing clear economic efficiency. The Minister also expressed his hope that upon completion of the new expressway, investors will have more favorable conditions to develop industrial parks, factories, logistics centers, dry ports, etc., creating more jobs for the people.
This spirit is also clearly reflected in the Politburo's Resolution on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the midland and mountainous regions of Northern Vietnam until 2030, with a vision to 2045. In this resolution, the Dong Dang-Tra Linh expressway is identified as a crucial "bottleneck" that needs to be addressed to transform the flow of people into capital, and turn the rugged terrain into a strategic advantage. The project also creates a clear positive impact, from developing local human resources to promoting services, construction materials, and logistics; helping local businesses participate in supply chains, access technology, and improve management capacity.
Many items in phase 1 of the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway have been redesigned to align with the expansion plan for phase 2, which will have a roadbed width of 22m. Simultaneous construction of both phases has resulted in a cost reduction of over 500 billion VND for the project.
According to Mr. Le Hai Hoa, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cao Bang province, prioritizing the interests of the people and adopting innovative approaches have helped the project create a ripple effect, becoming a model for many localities to learn from. A key highlight is the project's Steering Committee model, which brings together the entire political system and investors, operating on a mechanism of close coordination and harmonious interests. Thanks to this, the locality has been able to promptly resolve bottlenecks, ensuring the project's smooth implementation, becoming a model for the central government to guide and for many other localities to study and apply.
“Thanks to the will of the government and businesses, the Dong Dang-Tra Linh expressway has become a special project, not only applying a new implementation model and new funding sources, but also incorporating new trust and determination. The spirit of genuine public-private cooperation is encapsulated in two actions: cooperation and sharing, which are the key to unlocking the expressway,” Mr. Le Hai Hoa emphasized.
With a total length of 121km, the Dong Dang-Tra Linh route is a direct answer to Cao Bang's aspiration to escape the "blank area" of highways. During a site inspection of the project on March 14th, Mr. Phan Thang An, Secretary of the Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee, once again emphasized the important significance of the "Dong Khe Campaign 2026" for the project, and requested the construction force to concentrate maximum manpower and machinery, organize construction scientifically, overcome difficulties, and take advantage of favorable weather conditions to accelerate the remaining sections with a large volume of work.
Starting from the aspiration to pave the way and realizing it through a groundbreaking public-private partnership model, the construction site is currently experiencing peak activity with the goal of opening phase 1 to traffic on May 19th, meeting the expectations of the Government and the authorities and people of Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces, maximizing investment efficiency and its strategic connectivity role.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/thi-cong-nuoc-rut-tuyen-cao-toc-dong-dang-tra-linh-post955230.html
Comment (0)