The second phase of the Eastern North-South Expressway had received disbursed capital of VND26.8 trillion ($1.11 billion) as of August, or 60 per cent of the target, according to the Ministry of Transport (MoT).

This includes VND7 trillion ($291 million) in investment capital disbursed this year.

The second phase of the project stretches 729 km in length and is divided into 12 component projects operating independently in the public investment form, with total capital of nearly VND147 trillion ($6.5 billion).

Localities where the project will pass through have handed over 90 per cent of land for construction in the second phase.

Progress, however, has lagged behind scheduled due to difficulties in site clearance and a shortage of construction materials, which also affected the disbursement plan, the MoT said.

The 2,063-km Eastern North - South Expressway runs from Lang Son province on the Chinese border to the southernmost province of Ca Mau in the Mekong Delta.