The Son La Provincial People's Committee in northern Vietnam has submitted a document to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Finance regarding a plan to upgrade and complete the Hoa Binh – Moc Chau expressway section passing through the province.
According to the People's Committee, the section is currently being implemented in phases. It is initially designed with two lanes and a roadbed width of 12m. However, specific sections involving deep cuts or high fills have already been designed to full-scale specifications with a roadbed width of 22 m.
The section spans more than 32 km, starting in Van Ho Commune—connecting to the segment passing through the former province of Hoa Binh (now part of Phu Tho Province) —and ending at the intersection with National Highway 43 in Van Son Ward. The current investment for this stage exceeds VND4.9 trillion (nearly $189 million). Construction started in May 2025, with completion expected in 2028.
Subsequent sections, including Moc Chau – Son La – Dien Bien – Tay Trang border gate, are currently being reviewed and studied for four-lane investment. Consequently, the provincial authorities argue that expanding the Hoa Binh – Moc Chau expressway to four lanes is essential to ensure consistency, improve operational efficiency, and align with the national policy of completing phased expressways.
The Provincial People's Committee noted that site clearance has already been conducted based on the full-scale design, which helps mitigate the risk of illegal land re-encroachment. Approximately 10 km, or 30% of the total length, has already had its roadbed constructed to the full-scale width. If the project is adjusted now, workers would only need to add the pavement structure, thereby reducing the construction workload and increasing traffic safety.
Furthermore, since the project is in its early stages, adjusting the design and organizing construction to full scale immediately is considered more advantageous than expanding the road after it has already been put into operation.
Under the proposed plan, the cost for the upgrade and expansion is estimated at approximately VNĐ4.5 trillion. If approved, the total investment for the entire section will rise to over VNĐ9.4 trillion (nearly $362 million), with the implementation period projected for 2026–2028.
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