The Ministry of Transport has named important expressways that will be developed and put into use across the country by 2020.

A focus will be given to cross-country expressways in the country’s east, those in the areas of Hanoi and HCMC, and approach roads to seaports and international border gates.

This is part of a plan to develop 2,500 km of expressway in the next five years, according to the ministry’s planning and investment department.

To date, 746 km of expressway has been opened to traffic, including 30 km of Thang Long, 21 km of Noi Bai-Nhat Tan, and 30 km of Phap Van-Cau Gie in Hanoi, 19 km of Lien Khuong-Dalat in Lam Dong Province, 50 km of Cau Gie-Ninh Binh, 28 km of Phu Dong-Mai Dich of Hanoi’s Ring Road No. 3, 264 km of Hanoi-Lao Cai, 62 km of Hanoi-Thai Nguyen, 105 km of Hanoi-Haiphong, 46 km of Hanoi-Bac Giang, 40 km of HCMC-Trung Luong, and 51 km of HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay.

The total investment cost of the 12 expressways in operation is VND173.42 trillion (US$7.8 billion).

Currently, nine expressways totaling 525 km are under construction at a combined cost of VND133.5 trillion. They include La Son-Tuy Loan (66 km) connecting Hue and Danang cities, Danang-Quang Ngai (127 km), Ben Luc-Long Thanh (57.8 km), Hoa Lac-Hoa Binh (26 km), Thai Nguyen-Bac Kan (40 km), Trung Luong-My Thuan (51 km) in Tien Giang Province, Bac Giang-Lang Son (64 km), Halong-Van Don (59 km), Haiphong-Quang Ninh (25 km).

The ministry has found finances for five other expressway projects with a total length of 160 km. They are Mai Dich-South Thang Long section of Hanoi’s Ring Road No. 3, the section from Lang Son City to Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Song Province of Hanoi-Lang Son Expressway, Dau Giay-Phan Thiet, Van Don-Mong Cai in Quang Ninh Province, and the Tan Van-Nhon Trach section of HCMC’s Ring Road No.3.

The remaining 11 routes are expected to be developed under the build-transfer (BT) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) forms and with funding from the State budget.

They are My Thuan-Can Tho, Ninh Binh-National Highway 45, National Highway 45-Nghi Son in Thanh Hoa Province, Nghi Son-Vinh, Vinh-Ha Tinh, Ha Tinh-Vung Ang, Cam Lo-La Son running from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue, Dau Giay-Tan Phu, Bao Loc-Lien Khuong, Bien Hoa-Tan Thanh in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, and Noi Bai-Bac Ninh.

Around 102 km will be built under the BT form while another 541 km will be constructed under the BOT form at a total cost of over VND109.5 trillion.

For those expressways linking Hanoi and HCMC with other provinces, priority will be given to Tan Phu-Bao Loc, Nha Trang-Phan Thiet, Tan Thanh-Vung Tau, HCMC-Moc Bai, Doan Hung-Phu Tho, Co Tiet-Lang Van Hoa in Hoa Lac, and My An-Rach Soi connecting Dong Thap and Kien Giang.

The ministry looks set to start work on all of the expressway projects from now until the end of 2017 so as to achieve the goal of having 2,500 km of expressway by 2020.

Early this month, the Government approved an expressway network development plan until 2020 with a vision toward 2030. According to the plan, the nation will have 6,411 km of expressway ready by 2030.

Two north-south expressways totaling more than 3,000 km will be built, with one stretching over 1,800 km in the east of the country and the other 1,270 km in the west.

In the north, 14 expressways with a total length of 1,368 km will be developed to connect Hanoi with other provinces. The central and Central Highlands regions will have three expressways with a total length of 264 km while the south will have seven routes totaling 983 km.