Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Official Dispatch No. 05/CD-TTg on January 20, calling for an urgent review and accelerated investment to upgrade and complete expressways that have been built or are under construction under phased development plans.
The dispatch noted that in previous periods, in order to quickly connect expressway routes amid limited investment resources, many projects were approved and implemented in phases, with the number of lanes, roadbed width, and operating speeds falling short of full expressway standards.
The early operation of these expressways has helped improve transport connectivity and support socio-economic development. However, practical operation has revealed shortcomings in several phased projects, posing potential risks to traffic safety, congestion, and accidents, particularly as vehicle volumes increase rapidly.
In response, the Prime Minister has directed the adjustment and completion of multiple expressway projects, while assigning the Ministry of Construction, in coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology, to develop and issue a National Technical Regulation on Expressways.
Provincial and municipal chairpersons have been instructed to urgently study and propose upgrade plans for expressways under their management and submit them to the Ministry of Construction by February 10, 2026, for consolidation. The Ministry of Finance will lead coordination with the Ministry of Construction and localities to propose funding arrangements for the early implementation of these upgrades.
For expressway projects approved before January 1, 2025, the Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Construction, in coordination with local authorities, with reviewing and proposing upgrade solutions to ensure compliance with national expressway standards, while completing all related technical infrastructure. The review results must be reported to the Prime Minister by February 15, 2026.
To date, the country has put into operation nearly 3,345 km of main expressway.
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