Vietnam plans to spend more than VND3.2 quadrillion ($123 billion) to expand its expressway network to nearly 9,000km by 2050, under a long-term infrastructure blueprint recently approved by the Ministry of Construction, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.
By mid-century, the expressway system is expected to include 43 routes, stretching about 8,920km in total.
At the centre of the network is the north-south spine, which will run on two parallel tracks - an eastern coastal expressway of about 2,065km and a western inland route extending roughly 1,205km.
Regionally, northern Vietnam is set to host 14 expressway routes, adding up to around 2,242km.
The central region and the Central Highlands will account for 11 routes, or about 1,353km, while the south will have a similar number of routes covering roughly 1,342km.
Large cities will see major ring-road expansions. Hanoi plans to operate three ring roads by 2050, with a combined length of about 417km. Ho Chi Minh City will have two, totalling nearly 299km. The blueprint also looks beyond expressways.
By 2050, the national highway system is expected to include 172 routes with a combined length of more than 28,600km. The main North–South arteries will comprise National Highway 1, which runs about 2,218km, and the Ho Chi Minh Road, at roughly 1,894km.
Google translate