This plan identifies roads as a flexible and effective method for short and medium distances (under 300 km), assisting in gathering and releasing goods and passengers for other modes of transport. 

The plan will ensure the connection between the national road system and the local road system, between dynamic regions and disadvantaged regions; connecting transport hubs and the world, especially connecting traffic hubs and infrastructure of other modes of transport (railway station, seaport, river port, airport).

This is the first planning for a specific industry approved under the Law on Planning and is one of five schemes for the transport sector, together with plannings for waterways, aviation, seaports, and railway.

Under the planning, the country aims to develop over 5,000km of expressways by 2030, up from 3,841km in 2021.

Specifically, along the North-South axis, there are the Eastern Cluster of the North-South Expressway, running from Lang Son to Ca Mau (2,063km) and the Western Cluster of the North-South Expressway (1,205km). In the north, there will be 14 expressways having a total length of about 2,305km. In the Central and Central Highlands regions, there will be 10 expessways with total length of 1,431km. In the south, there will be 10 expressways with the total length of 1,290km.

There will be three urban beltways in Hanoi with a total length of 425km and two others in Ho Chi Minh City with a total length of 295km.

Regarding national highways, there will be 172 routes with a total length of 29,795km, up from 5,474km in 2021.

The country will also develop coastle roads going through 28 cities and provinces with a total length of 3,034km.

To ensure flexibility and openness in investment, this planning allows the adjustment of the investment process of road projects if cities and provinces find it necessary to fast-track investment and can handle the capital investment; or when cities and provinces want to expand national highways and roads.

Notably, this road development planning priorises adding expressway projects with great transportation capacity to the investment portfolio in 2021-2030 to develop a regional expressway network and make them a backbone of the national road system. They include the Eastern Cluster of the North-South Expressway, some expresways in the South and Central-Central Highlands regions, and northern mountainous areas, as well as urban beltways in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The planning also aims to develop national road system in a comprehensive manner towards sustainable development, environment protection, and climate change response. 

Vu Diep

Vietnam needs over US$32.4 bln to complete 5,000-km long expressways

According to the Ministry of Transport (MoT), its divisions are striving to complete the statement to the Politburo for the policy approval of implementing a set target of 5,000- kilometer long expressways in the whole country by 2030.