On the morning of August 19, a total of 250 projects across 34 provinces and cities will be simultaneously inaugurated or initiated, with a combined investment value of approximately VND 1.28 quadrillion (around USD 50.5 billion). Of these, 59 are transportation infrastructure projects.

According to the Ministry of Construction, 89 of the 250 projects meet the conditions for inauguration, while 161 are ready for groundbreaking. Among them, 59 are key transport infrastructure works.

Several major highways and bridges will be inaugurated:

The Vung Ang - Bung Expressway (part of the North-South Expressway Phase 2021-2025) spans 55.34 km across two provinces: 12.9 km through Ha Tinh and the remaining through what was formerly Quang Binh, now part of Quang Tri. It begins at the junction with National Route 12C in Ky Tan commune, Ky Anh district (Ha Tinh), and ends in Cu Nam commune, Bo Trach district (Quang Binh), connecting with the Bung - Van Ninh Expressway.

The Van Ninh - Cam Lo Expressway, also under the North-South Expressway Phase 2021-2025, runs 65.5 km. It starts at Km675+400 in Truong Ninh commune, Quang Tri (linked to Bung - Van Ninh Expressway) and ends at Km740+884.83 at National Highway 9A, connecting with the Cam Lo - La Son Expressway in Hieu Giang commune, Quang Tri.

Rach Mieu 2 Bridge over the Tien River, spanning more than 17 km, began construction in March 2022 with a total investment exceeding VND 6.8 trillion (around USD 269 million). Its main span was connected on April 19 this year.

Major projects breaking ground:

The Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh Expressway (part of the western North-South Expressway) will be over 124 km long, passing through what were formerly Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong provinces, now restructured as Dong Nai and Lam Dong. The project is valued at VND 25.9 trillion (approx. USD 1.025 billion). Phase one will include a four-lane expressway, with design speeds of 100-120 km/h.

The Dau Giay - Tan Phu Expressway, part of the Dau Giay - Lien Khuong route, stretches 60.24 km and connects Ho Chi Minh City with the Central Highlands. Designed with four restricted lanes, it has a total budget of VND 8.496 trillion (around USD 336 million). The route starts at the junction with the Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway and ends at the connection with the Tan Phu - Bao Loc Expressway. Phase one will include four lanes with a 17-meter-wide roadbed.

The expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway, developed by Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), involves widening both sides of the existing route, with some segments expanded to 10 lanes. The new Long Thanh Bridge will have five lanes in the HCMC - Long Thanh direction.

Additionally, two major projects will break ground during this period: the Ngoc Hoi Bridge and Gia Binh Airport.

The Ngoc Hoi Bridge project in Hanoi includes access roads at both ends, spanning 7.5 km in total. The main bridge crossing the Red River is about 680 meters long and 32.3 meters wide, with six lanes for motor vehicles and two lanes for mixed traffic. The total investment is VND 10.197 trillion (approximately USD 403 million).

Gia Binh Airport (Bac Ninh) is planned as a level 4E airport with a projected capacity of 30 million passengers annually during the 2021–2030 period and up to 50 million passengers by 2050. It is the second airport in Vietnam designed with four runways, after Long Thanh International Airport. The proposed land area for the airport is about 1,960 hectares. Estimated investment costs are VND 120.839 trillion (USD 4.78 billion) for the 2021–2030 period and about VND 61.455 trillion (USD 2.43 billion) through 2050.

N. Huyen