A segment of the Eastern North-South Expressway under construction. The proposal, if approved, would raise the total number of highway segments in the country to 42.— VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Transport is seeking local input on a proposed adjustment to the road network plan for the period from 2021 to 2030.

The proposal features a 90 km-long extension of the Eastern North-South Expressway that will consist of four lanes connecting Cà Mau City and Đất Mũi Commune.

The extension is expected to accommodate the growing traffic between the two localities, which is forecast to reach 18,300 to 20,100 Passenger Car Units (PCU) by 2030. It also emerges as a pivotal element in the province's vision of Hòn Khoai Seaport, Năm Căn Economic Zone, and Mũi Cà Mau National Tourist Site.

The proposal also widens the Bến Lức-Trung Lương segment of the expressway from six lanes to eight lanes to cater for a traffic volume of between 78,700 and 85,100 PCU on the 40 km-long axis that connects HCM City and the socio-economic center of the Mekong Delta.

The proposal also suggests a new four-lane 136 km-long expressway (Quảng Ngãi-Kon Tum Expressway) to connect the Central Highlands and the South Central Coast, on the grounds that the existing National Highway 24 is forecast to be insufficient to handle the traffic flows between the two regions by 2030.

Other five segments in the Northern Region, three in the Central Region, and five in the Southern Region also have their names on the list of highways to be expanded. Meanwhile, those that would remain unchanged include the 1,205 km-long Western North-South Expressway and some ring roads around Hà Nội and HCM City.

If the proposal is put into motion, Việt Nam would have 42 highway segments that span 9,263 km, against the 41 segments that span 9,014 km under the current plan. — VNS