QUẢNG NINH — The Vân Đồn - Móng Cái Expressway has official opened to traffic and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính believes it will bring prosperity and economic development opportunities for Quảng Ninh Provice and the entire Red River Delta.

Spanning a little over 80 kilometres, the road connects Vân Đồn International Airport and the access road to Bắc Luân 2 Bridge on the Việt Nam - China border in Móng Cái city.

Built in just over two years, it has four lanes for vehicles, two emergency lanes, and a design speed to allow vehicles to travel at 120km per hour.

The road is equipped with an intelligent transport system working around the clock and in all weather conditions.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and delegates officially open the Vân Đồn - Móng Cái Expressway on September 1. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

It is features the most sea and river bridges in the country, with 35 bridges totalling more than 7.9km on the main route – equivalent to 10 per cent of its length.

Chairman of the Quảng Ninh People’s Committee Nguyễn Tường Văn said the Vân Đồn - Móng Cái Expressway helps shorten the travel time from Hà Nội to Mong Cai city to three hours.

It is also connects with the expressway traversing Vân Đồn, Hạ Long, Hải Phòng, Hà Nội and Lào Cai, forming the country’s longest expressway – nearly 600km. This has turned Quảng Ninh into the locality boasting the greatest expressway length – 176km.

In addition, Vân Đồn - Móng Cái is the first of its kind to link three airports (Nội Bài in Hà Nội, Cát Bi in Hải Phòng, and Vân Đồn,), and three economic zones with one international border gate.

It also helps link other ASEAN countries and Vietnamese localities with China via the Móng Cái International Border Gate, facilitating investment attraction, border economic activities, as well as social and tourism development in the province, Văn noted.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in his address to delegates at the opening ceremony on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Addressing the inauguration ceremony held in coordination with Sun Group, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said the Vân Đồn - Móng Cái Expressway is the final part of the road axis running through Quảng Ninh with total length of 176km, accounting for 16.8 per cent of the combined expressway length in Việt Nam.

He said the new road will help Quảng Ninh establish itself as a strategic transit point in the East Asia - Southeast Asia - ASEAN - China region, the “Two Corridors, One Belt” cooperation zone between Việt Nam and China, and the expanded Gulf of Tonkin inter-regional cooperation area under the ASEAN - China Free Trade Area, creating a strong impulse for connectivity in the northern key economic region and the Red River Delta of Việt Nam.

This artery is also part of efforts to carry out the Party and State’s policy on developing transport infrastructure, particularly the expressway system, to help remove transport bottlenecks, he added. Noting that it was invested with VNĐ 44 trillion (US$1.87 billion), VNĐ15.6 trillion of which (35.5 per cent) was funded by the local budget and the remaining VNĐ28.2 trillion (64.5 per cent) by private businesses, the PM described the road as a successful example of the public - private partnership in infrastructure development.

Delegates at the Opening Ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

The Government leader said it will not only create a new development space for the northern midland and mountainous region and the Red River Delta, including Quảng Ninh, but also promote production, business, trading, service, tourism, industrial, and urban development in the places it traverses.

He urged Quảng Ninh to quickly complete procedures for the expressway management while localities should coordinate with one another to make the best use of the road to serve socio-economic development and achieve green, fast, and sustainable development. — VNS

Vân Đồn - Móng Cái Expressway. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

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Sea-crossing Vân Tiên Bridge, part of the Vân Đồn - Móng Cái Expressway. VNA/VNS Photo

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