The Prime Minister has approved the construction of a road connecting the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway and Sapa Town in the northern upland province of Lao Cai, with estimated total investment capital of VND2.5 trillion, under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format, the local media reported.

Vehicles travel on the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway in this file photo. The Prime Minister has approved the construction of a road connecting Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway and Sapa Town in Lao Cai Province

The project aims to meet the rising demand for transportation, especially for upcoming luxury tourism and resort projects in Sapa; minimize traffic accidents on National Highway 4D; reduce the travel distance between Sapa Town and Lao Cai City; and bolster the socioeconomic development of Lao Cai in particular and northwestern Vietnam in general.

As part of the project, National Highway 4D will be renovated, expanding to a total length of 29.2 kilometers, stretching from Sapa Town to Lao Cai City. In addition, Provincial Road 155 will be rebuilt, stretching over 25 kilometers in length and running parallel to the national highway, in line with the provincial plan for transport infrastructure.

The project will be executed in two phases: Phase one will run from this year until 2020, and phase two will begin immediately thereafter. Site clearance and the construction of a 13.8-kilometer-long section of Provincial Road 155, running from the intersection linking the expressway and Provincial Road 4D, will be completed in the first phase.

SGT