By the end of 2023, the final procedures of the Dong Dang (Lang Son) - Tra Linh (Cao Bang) expressway project have been urgently completed by the related province and relevant parties, ready for the groundbreaking ceremony slated on January 1, 2024.

Once the road is completed, it will open the door to trade and economic connection in the Northeast region, serving the goal of promoting local and regional socio-economic development, contributing to ensuring national defense and security.

As a mountainous province with more than 333 km of border with China, Cao Bang has an important strategic position in building and protecting the country. At the same time, the province has many advantages for socio-economic development. However, for many years, Cao Bang has remained one of the disadvantaged mountainous provinces.

From Cao Bang, if one wants to reach the country's major political, economic and social centers, he/she has no other choice than using the road transport system including the National Highways 3 (Hanoi - Thai Nguyen - Bac Kan - Cao Bang) and National Highway 4A (Hanoi - Lang Son - Cao Bang), with a total travel time from 6 - 7 hours. Therefore, more than ever, Cao Bang needs a highway to facilitate its trade and awaken its potential for socio-economic development. Cao Bang urgently needs a highway to facilitate trade and awaken the potential for socio-economic development.

Besides, Cao Bang also has many potentials and advantages, including the potential for border economic development, especially trade and services. Located at the gateway for goods trade from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the West and Southwest provinces of China to the sea and to Southeast Asian countries, Cao Bang has many pairs of border gates across the Vietnam-China border, creating many potentials and advantages to exchange products and goods, especially agricultural products.

With the above prospect, the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway project is expected to open the door to trade with China, making Cao Bang a gateway connecting the southwestern provinces of China with Cao Bang - Lang Son - Hanoi to Hai Phong; connecting the southern provinces of Vietnam with the provinces of Bac Kan - Thai Nguyen - Hanoi, connecting with the provinces of Ha Giang - Tuyen Quang and the northwestern provinces of Vietnam.

The road will also form a southern transport route connecting Southeast Asia to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou (China) to Central Asia and Europe, ensuring smooth trade and improving investment efficiency in infrastructure in general and regional connection infrastructure in particular at the same time.

In addition, this road will help connect horizontal axes in the highway system network, promoting the effectiveness of inaugurated and ongoing projects, connecting economic centers, international border gates and seaports of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces, meeting transportation needs on the economic corridor in the Northern region, creating motivation and development space for the entire Northeast region with modern, synchronized technical and social infrastructure systems. With these characters, the road will contribute to ensuring national defense, security, and poverty reduction; improving the competitiveness of Vietnam’s economy, successfully implementing the goals and tasks of the country's socio-economic development according to the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress.

To realize this project, the entire political system of Cao Bang province has been exerted great efforts so that the project can be implemented as quickly and effectively as possible. This is a push to help the province's socio-economic development and integration, while creating a position and strength to maintain national defense and security in the northern border region.

Currently, site clearance sub-projects in the two provinces of Cao Bang and Lang Son are focusing on installing piles for site clearance, spanning 56 km/69.06 km; handing over site clearance documents and site clearance milestone stakes to the People's Committees of Thach An and Quang Hoa districts spanning 34.1/41.35 km. Lang Son province has installed land clearance stakes in the field reaching 46.3 km/52 km. The work of clearing bombs, mines, explosives, and moving power lines is being implemented according to regulations. Along with that, procedures related to the project are being urgently completed by the province and related parties, ready for the groundbreaking ceremony on January 1, 2024.

According to plan, the project will complete phase 1 in 2026. It is expected that phase 2 of the project will be invested after 2026. In phase 2, the remaining 27.71 km, which runs from the end point of phase 1 at Km 93+350 to the end point at the border of Tra Linh border gate economic zone, Trung Khanh district.