Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday chaired the 24th meeting of the State Steering Committee for national key transport projects.

To date, Vietnam has put 3,345 kilometers of expressways into operation or technical traffic opening, while 1,252 kilometers are under construction and around 1,721 kilometers are being prepared for investment.

Addressing the meeting, Pham Minh Chinh urged local authorities to proactively resolve obstacles, quickly complete procedures for approving investment policies and hand over project sites within March.

Looking ahead, the prime minister asked ministries, sectors, local authorities, project management boards, investors and contractors to uphold their sense of responsibility in implementing investment projects.

He stressed that all projects must proceed quickly but still fully comply with procedures, legal regulations and required processes.

The PM warned that violations, corruption, loss and waste of public assets must absolutely not occur.

Authorities were also instructed to promptly remove institutional and policy bottlenecks and cut unnecessary administrative procedures.

Investors must proactively review and check unit prices, cost norms, total investment levels, procedures and processes for selecting investors and contractors.

These steps, he said, are necessary to prevent mistakes and ensure no violations or corruption occur. Those who perform well should be encouraged, rewarded and prioritized, while those who violate regulations must face strict handling.

Strictly handling violations and misconduct

For projects in the preparation stage, the prime minister asked Hanoi and Bac Ninh province to accelerate approval of the feasibility study for the road connecting Gia Binh Airport so that construction can begin soon.

The goal is to start the project in March and complete it in time to serve APEC 2027.

Cao Bang and Phu Tho were asked to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to arrange central budget funding and soon approve investment policies for the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway section (Km0 - Km19) and the Bac Kan - Cao Bang expressway.

Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Tho, Nghe An, Gia Lai and Tay Ninh were instructed to accelerate preparation and approval of feasibility studies for projects including Vinh - Thanh Thuy, component project 2 of Quy Nhon - Pleiku, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4 and Hoa Lac - Hoa Binh.

These projects are expected to start construction around May 19.

Ho Chi Minh City must urgently complete the selection of investors for component project 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway, with completion scheduled for April.

In terms of site clearance, Phu Tho, Son La, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh and Dong Nai were asked to focus on completing the remaining land clearance for projects including Hoa Binh - Moc Chau, Ninh Binh - Hai Phong (sections through Ninh Binh and Hung Yen), Cho Moi - Bac Kan, Dau Giay - Tan Phu and Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh.

Regarding construction materials, Hanoi and the provinces of Bac Ninh, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Hung Yen, An Giang, Dong Thap and Vinh Long were asked to grant permits to increase mining capacity and coordinate the supply of construction materials.

This is intended to ensure progress for projects including Ring Road 4 in the Hanoi Capital Region, Ninh Binh - Hai Phong, Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang and Can Tho - Ca Mau, with completion scheduled for April.

For construction activities, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Lang Son, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Dong Thap, Can Tho, An Giang, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh were instructed to direct investors and contractors to mobilize maximum resources.

Despite weather challenges, construction must be organized in “three shifts, four crews” to ensure progress on projects such as Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang, Huu Nghi - Chi Lang, Dong Dang - Tra Linh, Cao Lanh - An Huu, Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 and Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang, with targets set for April.

Local authorities were also asked to instruct investors and contractors to develop implementation plans, proactively identify sources of construction materials and strengthen supervision to accelerate progress on projects including Ninh Binh - Hai Phong, Hoa Binh - Moc Chau, Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh, Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh, component project 3 of Hanoi Capital Region Ring Road 4, Quy Nhon - Pleiku, Tan Phu - Bao Loc, Phu Quoc International Airport and Phu Cat Airport.

All projects must ensure both quality and progress as committed.

The prime minister also asked local authorities to review and, if necessary, add interchanges and connection points to newly built expressways to maximize investment efficiency.

He emphasized that provincial planning should be adjusted to integrate new development spaces along these expressway corridors.

Finally, Pham Minh Chinh called on all stakeholders to work while continuously drawing lessons, expanding effective approaches, identifying shortcomings and strictly handling violations and misconduct.

Tran Thuong