The northern mountainous provinces of Bac Kan and Cao Bang have proposed the Prime Minister support the construction of an expressway between the two neighboring localities in the 2021-2025 period.

In the preliminary plan, the total length of the route is some 90 km with total investment of about VND14.1 trillion ($620.14 million), funded by ODA loans.

The two provinces have difficult terrain that slows down economic development, and limited traffic and transport infrastructure has weakened their ability to attract investment.

Moreover, in recent years, National Highway No. 3, which connects the two, has been upgraded but technical standards remain low, creating difficulties in the passage of large vehicles, especially tractors. There are frequent accidents and traffic jams as a result.

The expressway is expected to improve socio-economic development in the two provinces and the northern mountainous region as a whole, and at the same time contribute to the protection of a key strategic region in terms of national defense and security.