The People's Committee of the northern province of Ninh Binh has officially submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Construction, requesting to expand the Cau Gie – Ninh Binh (Cao Bo) section of the eastern wing of the North-South Expressway from four lanes to six lanes.

The expansion aims to enhance connectivity and synchronization with the ongoing construction of the Hanoi Capital Region's Ring Road 4 Project.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cao Son, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the eastern wing of the North-South Expressway plays a critical role in Vietnam’s socio-economic development, national defense, and security. The 24.5 km-long section passing through Ninh Binh province consists of two key segments: Cao Bo – Mai Son and Mai Son – National Highway 45.

Currently, Ninh Binh is implementing a project to expand the Cao Bo – Mai Son segment from four to six lanes. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Construction has plans to upgrade the Mai Son – National Highway 45 section from four lanes to a fully integrated six-lane expressway.

However, local authorities warn that if only the Cao Bo – Mai Son section is widened, while the Cau Gie – Ninh Binh section remains untouched, it will create a 50 km-long traffic bottleneck.

The section was developed by the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) and has been in operation since 2012 with a four-lane configuration. However, after more than a decade, the route has become overloaded, unable to meet current traffic demands.

The total estimated cost of the expansion is over VND2.1 trillion ($81.2 million), with VND840 billion (approximately 40%) to be financed through the State budget, while the remaining funds will be mobilized from private sector investment.