A deteriorating road section. The Ministry of Transport has proposed an annual 10% increase in the road maintenance fund in the 2021-2025 period – Photo: VNA

The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam annually receives some VND8 trillion to maintain around 24,000 kilometers of national highways. However, the fund can meet only 40% of the demand, news site Vietnamplus reported.

If the Ministry of Transport’s proposal is approved, the directorate will annually be allocated an additional VND800 billion, which will considerably help improve traffic infrastructure and reduce the risk of traffic accidents.

The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam has urged the Ministry of Transport to propose five groups of solutions to the Government. Specifically, more than 500 intersections and 69 flyovers will be upgraded, while more traffic signs and signal lights will be added. The cost of these jobs was estimated at some VND1.4 trillion.

In addition, VND580 billion was proposed for facilities that will ensure traffic safety at night.

Traffic safety will also be enhanced at the sloping sections, which will cost more than VND1.5 trillion.

Moreover, traffic safety facilities and equipment will be improved at an estimated cost of VND210 billion.

Sections with a large volume of vehicles passing through the Hanoi-Bac Ninh Expressway and the new National Highway 3 will be expanded, while some sections of National Highway 1 will be developed to have four lanes from the current two lanes. The investment for these projects was proposed to be sourced from the medium-term public investment or these projects will be executed under the build-operate-transfer model. SGT

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