Overview of 1,206km of North-South Expressway opened to traffic

The North-South Expressway project, with a length of more than 2,000km, stretching from Lang Son to Ca Mau , is part of the Vietnam Expressway Network Plan to 2020, with a vision to 2030, first approved by the Prime Minister in 2010. Currently, the North-South Expressway project is in the process of completing phase 2.

Phase 1 began in 2017 with 11 component projects, approximately 652.9km long. The first packages were started from late 2019 to early 2021, due to problems with capital, land and investor selection.

By January 2023, the project entered phase 2 (2021–2025) and officially started construction of 12 sections from Ha Tinh to Can Tho , with a total length of about 729km.

The goal of phase 2 is to complete the connection of the entire route from Lang Son to Ca Mau by the end of 2025.

Currently, the North-South Expressway has put into operation 1,206km, of which in the first 4 months of 2025, 4 component projects with a total length of 221km were opened to traffic, bringing the total length of expressways nationwide to 2,242km.

Lang Son - Bac Giang (64.9km); Hanoi - Bac Giang (45.8km); Phap Van - Cau Gie (30km); Cau Gie - Ninh Binh (50km); Cao Bo - Mai Son (15km); Mai Son - National Highway 45 (63.4km); National Highway 45 - Nghi Son (43.28km); Nghi Son - Dien Chau (50km); Dien Chau - Bai Vot (50 km); Bai Vot - Ham Nghi (35.28km); Ham Nghi - Vung Ang (54km); Bung - Van Ninh (48.84km); Cam Lo - La Son (98.35 km); La Son - Tuy Loan (77.5km); Nha Trang - Cam Lam (49 km); Cam Lam - Vinh Hao (78.5 km); Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet (100.8km); Phan Thiet - Dau Giay (99 km); Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay (55.7km); Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong (41km); Trung Luong - My Thuan (51km); My Thuan - Can Tho (23km).

Lang Son - Bac Giang Expressway. Photo: The Son

Lang Son - Bac Giang Expressway is part of the North - South Expressway project, a vital route in the Northern economic corridor, connecting Hanoi with Huu Nghi border gate, contributing to promoting trade between Vietnam and China.

The project has a total investment of 12,188 billion VND, a length of about 64.9km, starting at Mai Sao commune, Chi Lang district, Lang Son province, the end point connecting with the end point of the project to upgrade and expand National Highway 1, Hanoi - Bac Giang section.

Phase 1 has 4 lanes, 2 emergency lanes, 25m wide roadbed, designed speed 100km/h. In the completed phase, there will be 6 lanes, 2 emergency lanes, 32.25m wide roadbed, speed 100km/h. Bac Giang - Lang Son Expressway was technically opened to traffic on September 29, 2019 and put into operation on January 15, 2020.

Hanoi - Bac Giang Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The next is the Bac Giang - Hanoi expressway, 45.8km long. The project starts at Dinh Tri ward, Bac Giang city, and ends at the old Phu Dong toll station.

The current scale of the highway has 4 lanes, a roadbed width of 33-34m, operating speed of 100 km/h, total investment of more than 4,154 billion VND. Time of putting into operation from April 2016.

Due to the traffic volume increasing by about 11% per year in the last three years, with about 53,500 vehicles/day and night, exceeding the design capacity, there has been a proposal to expand this highway to 8 lanes.

Phap Van - Cau Gie Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

Located in the North-South expressway network, the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway is 29km long, 33.5m wide, with a current traffic volume of about 85,000 vehicles/day and night, exceeding the design of about 55,400 vehicles/day and night. Inaugurated in 2011, the project has undergone an upgrade process and was inaugurated in early 2019, expanding the route from 4 to 6 lanes, with a total investment of about 6,731 billion VND. Maximum speed 100km/h.

Cau Gie - Ninh Binh Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Cau Gie - Ninh Binh expressway, from the Liem Tuyen intersection (Ha Nam) to the Cao Bo intersection (Nam Dinh), was technically opened to traffic in June 2012. The project starts at the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway (Hanoi), and ends at National Highway 10, the Nam Dinh - Ninh Binh section, with a length of about 50km and a maximum speed of 120km/h.

Nearly 2 months ago, the management unit of the Cau Gie - Ninh Binh expressway proposed expanding the expressway from 4 to 6 lanes with a total cost of more than 2,110 billion VND.

Cao Bo - Mai Son Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Cao Bo - Mai Son Expressway has a total investment of more than 1,162 billion VND, started construction in December 2019, and opened to traffic on February 4, 2022. The total length of the main route is 15.2km; 22km of service roads; 7 bridges and 3 underpasses for people, with a maximum speed of 80km/h.

Mai Son - National Highway 45. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Mai Son - National Highway 45 section has a total length of 63.37km (passing through Ninh Binh province 14.35km; passing through Thanh Hoa province 49.02km), with a total investment of more than 12,000 billion VND, opening to traffic from April 29, 2023. In the completed phase, this route will be built on a scale of 6 lanes, 32.25m roadbed, reaching a design speed of 120km/h. In the current phase, there are 4 limited lanes, 17m roadbed, reaching a design speed of 90km/h.

Highway QL45 - Nghi Son. Photo: Hoang Ha

The National Highway 45 - Nghi Son section is 43.28km long, technically opened to traffic on September 1, 2023, and officially inaugurated on October 18, 2023. In the first phase, the highway will be built with 4 lanes, a 17m roadbed, a design speed of 90km/h, and no emergency lanes but stops will be arranged. The completed phase will have 6 lanes, a 32m roadbed, and a design speed of 100-120km/h.

Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Nghi Son - Dien Chau route is 50km long, of which the section through Thanh Hoa is 6.5km long and the section through Nghe An is 43.5km long, starting at the intersection with Nghi Son - Bai Tranh road, connecting with National Highway 45 - Nghi Son, ending at the intersection with National Highway 7, connecting with Dien Chau - Bai Vot highway in Dien Cat commune. The route has a 17m wide roadbed, maximum speed of 90km/h.

Dien Chau - Bai Vot Expressway, the section through Hung Duc Bridge - Lam River Overpass is over 4km long. Photo: Nguyen Duong

Next is the Dien Chau - Bai Vot route, which will open to traffic on June 30, 2024. The project has a total length of about 49.3km, passing through two provinces: Nghe An (44.4km) and Ha Tinh (4.9km). Phase 1 has 4 lanes, no emergency lane, 17m wide roadbed, maximum design speed of 90km/h. The total investment is 11,157 billion VND, in the form of public-private partnership (PPP).

Bai Vot - Ham Nghi Expressway. Photo: Phan Chuong

The Bai Vot - Ham Nghi section is 35.28km long, with a total investment of over VND7,643 billion. The diverging phase of this route is designed with 4 lanes, a 17m wide roadbed, and a maximum design speed of 90km/h. The completed phase is expected to expand to 6 lanes, with a 32.25m wide roadbed.

The project was technically opened to traffic on April 19, 2025 and officially put into operation from 6:00 p.m. on April 28, 2025.

Ham Nghi - Vung Ang Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The North-South Expressway, Ham Nghi - Vung Ang section, is 54.2km long, passing through Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen and Ky Anh districts, Ha Tinh province. The project has a total investment of VND9,734 billion. In the phased phase, the route has 4 lanes, a 17m wide roadbed, and a maximum design speed of 90km/h. In the completed phase, it is expected to expand to 6 lanes, a 32.25m wide roadbed, and a design speed of 120km/h.

Along with the exploitation time of Bai Vot - Ham Nghi section, the project will be technically opened to traffic on April 19, 2025.

Bung - Van Ninh Expressway. Photo: Van An

Also just opened to technical traffic on April 19, 2025, officially put into operation from April 28, 2025, the Bung - Van Ninh expressway is expected to be completed before June 30, 2025. The project is 48.84km long, with a total investment of VND 9,361 billion, spanning Bo Trach, Quang Ninh districts and Dong Hoi city (Quang Binh province).

Currently in the divergence phase, the route has 4 lanes, no emergency lane, roadbed width of 17m, maximum speed of 90km/h. The complete phase will have 6 lanes, with emergency lane, roadbed width increased to 32.25m, design speed of 100km/h.

The starting point of this highway connects with the Vung Ang - Bung section (not completed yet), the end point connects with the Van Ninh - Cam Lo highway (under construction).

Cam Lo - La Son Expressway. Photo: Hoang Minh

The Cam Lo - La Son Expressway, inaugurated on December 31, 2022, is an important part of the North - South Eastern Expressway project, connecting Quang Tri province and Hue city. The expressway is 98.35km long, starting at the intersection with National Highway 9 in Cam Hieu commune, Cam Lo district, ending at La Son intersection, connecting with La Son - Tuy Loan Expressway and Provincial Road 14B in Phu Loc district (Hue city). Currently, the route is being exploited with a scale of 2 lanes, and is expected to be expanded to 4 lanes in 2025.

La Son - Tuy Loan Expressway. Photo: Minh Hien

The La Son - Tuy Loan expressway project has a total investment of nearly 11,500 billion VND, started construction in December 2013, and will be inaugurated in April 2022. The total length of the route is 77.5km, connecting from La Son intersection to Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway.

In phase 1, the expressway will be built to grade 3 road standards with a scale of 2 lanes, a road width of 12m and a design speed of 60 - 80km/h. In phase 2, the project will be expanded to 4 lanes with a road width of about 24m, equivalent to the Da Nang - Quang Ngai route.

Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway is the first expressway section in Central Vietnam, part of the Eastern North - South expressway system.

The total length of the route is 139.204km, of which the main expressway section is 131.5km long, the section connecting National Highway 1A is 7.7km long. The project passes through Da Nang city (7.9km), Quang Nam province (91.2km) and Quang Ngai province (40.1km). The scale of phase 1 of the route has 4 lanes, 2 emergency lanes, roadbed width of 24.25m, road surface width of 22.25m, design speed of 120km/h (some special sections: 100km/h).

The project started construction in 2013 and was technically opened to traffic on September 2, 2018, with a total investment of VND 34,516 billion.

Phong Van - Nha Trang Expressway has opened 70km out of a total of 83km. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Van Phong - Nha Trang Expressway with a total investment of 12,000 billion VND has been exploited for a 70km section to serve people on the occasion of April 30, 2025. The project is more than 83km long, passing through Ninh Hoa town and three districts of Van Ninh, Dien Khanh, Khanh Vinh, Van Phong economic zone, 4 lanes, maximum speed of 90km/h.

The starting point of the project connects the south of Co Ma tunnel (Van Ninh district), located near National Highway 1, the end point intersects with Nha Trang - Cam Lam expressway. The remaining 13km at the beginning of the route is expected to be completed by June 30 to bring the entire project 6 months ahead of schedule.

Nha Trang - Cam Lam Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The 49.11km North-South Expressway section of Nha Trang - Cam Lam opened to traffic on May 19, 2023. The project starts at the intersection with National Highway 27C in Dien Khanh district (Khanh Hoa), and ends at the intersection with National Highway 27B, Cam Ranh city (Khanh Hoa).

The diverging phase of the expressway has 4 lanes, no emergency lane. The roadbed width is 17m, the maximum design speed is 90km/h, the minimum is 60km/h. Emergency stops are arranged every 4-5km on the section. At the completion phase, the project will increase to 6 lanes, the roadbed width is more than 32m, the speed is 120km/h.

Cam Lam - Vinh Hao Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The 78.5km Cam Lam - Vinh Hao expressway connects Khanh Hoa with Binh Thuan, passing through Ninh Thuan and was technically opened to traffic on April 26, 2024. The project has a total investment of about VND 8,925 billion.

The current phase of the expressway has 4 lanes, no emergency lane. The roadbed width is 17m, the design speed is 90km/h, with emergency stops every 4-5km. The complete phase will increase to 6 lanes, the roadbed width is 32.35m, the design speed is 100-120km/h.

Since its inauguration, the project has helped to connect the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, shortening travel time from 8 hours to about 5 hours.

Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

Connecting Cam Lam - Vinh Hao is the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet section, 100.8km long, with a total investment of about 10,853 billion VND from the state budget. The starting point of the route is in Vinh Hao commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province. The end point is in Ham Kiem commune, Ham Thuan Nam district, Binh Thuan province.

The divergence phase has 4 lanes, no emergency lane, 17m wide roadbed, maximum design speed 90km/h. The complete phase will have 6 lanes, 32.25m wide roadbed, design speed 120km/h. The expressway will be technically opened to traffic on May 19, 2023, and inaugurated on June 18, 2023.

Dau Giay - Phan Thiet Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

With a length of 99km, the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay Expressway passes through Binh Thuan (47.5km) and Dong Nai (51.5km) provinces. The project has a total investment of more than 12,577 billion VND, started on September 30, 2020, opened to traffic and inaugurated on April 29, 2023.

The expressway phase has 4 lanes, the roadbed width is 25-27m, and the design speed is 120km/h. The completed phase has 6 lanes, the roadbed width is 32.25m, and the design speed is 120km/h.

Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway is an important route in Vietnam's transportation system, with a length of about 55.7km. This expressway starts from An Phu intersection (Ho Chi Minh City) and ends at Dau Giay intersection.

The project started construction on October 3, 2009, and opened to traffic on February 8, 2015 with a scale of 4 lanes, a design speed of 120km/h, and a total investment of 997.67 million USD in phase I.

Recently, the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has proposed urgent construction to soon expand this expressway to meet increasing traffic demand and ensure synchronization with the exploitation progress of Long Thanh International Airport in 2026.

The planned expansion of the section from Ring Road 2 to Ring Road 3 is from 4 to 8 lanes; the section from Ring Road 3 to Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway is from 4 to 10 lanes.

Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway at Than Cuu Nghia intersection. Photo: Nguyen Hue

Inaugurated on February 3, 2010, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway is part of the North-South Expressway in the East, playing a key role in connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the provinces of the Southwest. With a length of about 40km starting from Cho Dem intersection (Binh Chanh district), ending at Than Cuu Nghia intersection (Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang). This is the first expressway in Vietnam, put into operation since 2010.

With 4 lanes and 2 emergency lanes, the original design speed of the route was 120km/h, but is now limited to a maximum speed of 100km/h due to high traffic volume.

My Thuan 1 and 2 Bridges are located on the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway connecting Vinh Long and Tien Giang provinces. Photo: Nguyen Hue

As of May 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway has a total length of about 96.13 km. The project starts from Cho Dem intersection (Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City) and ends at the northern end of My Thuan 2 bridge (Cai Be district, Tien Giang province).

The total investment in phase 1 is 12,668 billion VND, the entire route is located in Tien Giang province. The designed speed of phase 1 has 4 lanes, maximum speed of 90km/h (increased from 80km/h from November 2023). The completed phase has 6 lanes and 2 emergency lanes, maximum speed of 100km/h.

My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway. Photo: Nguyen Hue

My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway is 22.97km long, passing through two provinces: Vinh Long (12.52km) and Dong Thap (10.45km). The starting point of the route connects with the My Thuan 2 Bridge approach road and Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway in Tan Hoa Ward, Vinh Long City; the end point is at Cha Va Intersection, connecting with National Highway 1 in Binh Minh Town, Vinh Long Province.

The initial total investment was over VND4,800 billion, then increased to about VND5,826 billion to add items such as Vo Van Kiet intersection and residential roads. The project was inaugurated on December 24, 2023, along with My Thuan 2 Bridge, and opened to two-way traffic at the end of December 2023.

Phase 1 of the expressway is designed with 4 lanes, no emergency lane, 17m wide roadbed, and a design speed of 80 km/h. In the final phase, it will be upgraded to 6 lanes, with an emergency lane, 32m wide roadbed, and a design speed of 100 km/h.

As of April 30, 2025, the North-South expressways still under construction include: Huu Nghi - Chi Lang (60km); Vung Ang - Bung (55km); Van Ninh - Cam Lo (49km); Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan (11.5km); Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon (88km); Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon (70.1km); Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh (61.7km); Chi Thanh - Van Phong (48km); Can Tho - Hau Giang (37.65km); Hau Giang - Ca Mau (73.22km) and the remaining 13km of the Van Phong - Nha Trang route.

Projects expected to be completed on September 2 include: Vung Ang - Bung, Van Ninh - Cam Lo, Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh - Van Phong and the last 13km of the Van Phong - Nha Trang route.

The component projects of the North-South Expressway in the East phase 2021-2025 are expected to be completed before December 31, 2025, including: Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan; Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon; Can Tho - Hau Giang; Hau Giang - Ca Mau.

With more than 700km of 12 component projects in the 2021-2025 period and the 11.5km Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan section put into operation in 2025, it will connect the route from Chi Lang (Lang Son) to Ca Mau by the end of 2025. (Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan Expressway belongs to the Eastern North-South Expressway, started construction in September 2023, expected to be completed in November 2025).

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/toan-canh-1206-km-tuyen-cao-toc-bac-nam-da-thong-xe-2401333.html