According to the ministry, the preliminary capital requirement for upgrading existing expressways to their full planned scale is estimated at nearly VND500 trillion (USD19.2 billion).

Of this amount, more than VND80 trillion (USD3.1 billion) would be needed to expand two-lane expressways.

Currently, five routes with a combined length of 329km are being upgraded to four lanes, including the Cam Lo - La Son, La Son - Hoa Lien and Yen Bai - Lao Cai sections, with a total investment of around VND17.669 trillion (USD680 million).

In addition, six other expressway projects totaling nearly 300km are being studied by local authorities for expansion to full four-lane standards.

These include the Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi, Dong Dang - Tra Linh and Hoa Binh - Moc Chau routes.

The estimated central government budget required for these projects is around VND30.5 trillion (USD1.17 billion).

For limited four-lane expressways, the ministry estimated that more than VND414 trillion (USD15.9 billion) would be needed to expand routes to between four and eight lanes as planned, using a combination of state and non-state funding sources.

At present, two expressway sections with a total length of 66km are undergoing expansion.

These include the Cao Bo - Mai Son section funded through public investment, expected to be completed in 2026, and the Trung Luong - My Thuan section under the PPP model, scheduled for completion in 2028.

Two expansion scenarios for the North-South Expressway

For the eastern North-South Expressway specifically, the Ministry of Construction proposed two investment scenarios for the 2026-2030 period.

Under the first option, radial expressway sections connecting to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City would be expanded over a total length of 534km, requiring approximately VND64 trillion (USD2.46 billion).

The second option involves expanding the entire route spanning around 1,144km, with a preliminary total investment estimated at nearly VND155 trillion (USD5.96 billion).

According to the ministry, amid difficulties in mobilizing private capital, expressway expansion efforts in the near term would mainly rely on public investment funding.

The ministry recommended that the government prioritize upgrading two-lane expressways to full-scale standards in order to improve traffic safety, reduce congestion and avoid infrastructure bottlenecks that could hinder development.

For limited four-lane expressways, the ministry said further studies are needed to assess socio-economic efficiency, funding mobilization capacity and traffic volume before expansion decisions are finalized.

The Ministry of Construction also urged the Ministry of Finance to allocate central budget funding for projects that already have sufficient assessments demonstrating effectiveness, so they can be submitted to competent authorities for investment approval.

Under Vietnam’s transport master plan, the national expressway network will consist of 43 routes totaling 8,923km.

To date, 3,345km of expressways have been opened or technically completed, while 1,252km are under construction and around 1,721km are being prepared for investment.

Vu Diep