As part of its second session, the National Assembly on November 7 heard the Government’s proposal and appraisal report on investment policies for three expressway projects: Moc Chau - Son La - Dien Bien (the section passing through Son La Province), Bao Ha - Lai Chau (the Bao Ha - Tan Phong section), and Quang Ngai - Kon Tum, according to the online newspaper of Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).
Presenting the proposal, as authorized by the Prime Minister, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh said the projects are intended to advance Vietnam’s transport infrastructure development strategy and contribute to the goal of putting more than 5,000 km of expressways into operation by 2030.
According to the Government, the existing national highways connecting Son La, Lai Chau and Quang Ngai provinces with major regional economic centers are relatively narrow, have limited technical standards, and are frequently affected by landslides during rainy seasons. The new expressways are expected to significantly improve transport capacity and cut travel times by approximately 50-60% compared with current routes.
The Government noted that the projects would not only meet transport demand but also expand development opportunities, enhance international trade links, and support socio-economic development in mountainous and border areas with large ethnic minority populations. The routes are also considered strategically important for national defense, security, disaster response, and rescue operations.
According to the proposal, the three expressways will have a combined length of approximately 430.5 km, including: Moc Chau - Son La - Dien Bien (179.5 km), Bao Ha - Lai Chau (119 km), and Quang Ngai - Kon Tum (132 km). The routes are planned as four-lane expressways with design speeds ranging from 80 km/h to 120 km/h.
The projects are expected to require about 4,583 ha of land, including approximately 1,155 ha of forest land proposed for conversion.
The Government said it had studied investment options under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and BOT contracts. However, even with state support covering 50-70% of total investment costs, the projects were unable to demonstrate a viable payback period.
Given that the expressways pass through economically disadvantaged mountainous and border regions and serve essential inter-regional connectivity needs, the Government has proposed implementing all three projects through public investment.
The preliminary total investment for the three projects is estimated at nearly VND162.44 trillion ($6.34 billion).
For the 2026-2030 period, the Government plans to allocate around VND119.4 trillion ($4.66 billion) from the central budget and ensure sufficient resources to substantially complete the projects by 2030.
Under the proposed timeline, investment preparation will take place during 2026-2027, while land acquisition, compensation, resettlement and construction commencement are expected in 2027. The projects are scheduled for substantial completion in 2030 and commercial operation in 2031.
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