Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính meet construction workers during his visit to the project site of Đồng Đăng-Trà Lĩnh expressway on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Thursday visited and held a working session with authorities of the northern border provinces of Cao Bằng and Lạng Sơn to expedite expressway projects and review the construction of a pilot smart border gate.

PM Chính stressed that the Đồng Đăng-Trà Lĩnh and Hữu Nghị-Chi Lăng expressway projects in the two provinces hold great significance, not only for their connectivity with regional and the North-South expressway network but also their linkage with China.

They are also integral to Việt Nam's goal of building 3,000km of expressways nationwide by the end of 2025 and 5,000km by 2030, driving socio-economic development across Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn and the entire country.

To date, site clearance for both projects is largely complete, with four tunnels already under construction.

The PM directed that these projects be expedited to meet the 2025 deadline while maintaining high standards of quality, technical standards, safety, and environmental protection. He also stressed the importance of improving local living conditions as part of this development.

He agreed to immediately proceed with the second phase of the Đồng Đăng-Trà Lĩnh project in 2026 following the public-private partnership model, aiming for a fully completed four-lane road.

He also urged relevant authorities to swiftly address any legal obstacles or challenges in accordance with regulations.

The 121km Đồng Đăng-Trà Lĩnh expressway project has a total investment of over VNĐ23 trillion (US$905.5 million). Meanwhile, the Hữu Nghị-Chi Lăng project is 60km long and invested with over VNĐ11 trillion.

With regard to the construction of the pilot smart border gate at the Hữu Nghị (Vietnam) and Youyi Guan (China) international border gate pair, Lạng Sơn authorities proposed the establishment of additional roads for cargo transportation and sought financial support for the smart border gate project.

Cao Bằng authorities also sought permission to pilot a smart border gate at the Trà Lĩnh (Vietnam) and Longbang (China) border gate pair.

Agreeing with Lạng Sơn's proposal to expand the cargo transport road to 14 lanes, PM Chính urged the provinces of Quảng Ninh, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai and relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities to proactively coordinate with China to effectively follow the plan.

The finance ministry was tasked with arranging the necessary budget from the 2024 contingency funds to support these initiatives. — VNA/VNS