A section of the Hồ Chí Minh Expressway passing through the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Kon Tum is put into operation. — VNA/VNS Photo Việt Hùng

HÀ NỘI — An additional 170km of Hồ Chí Minh Expressway is to be built and completed by 2025, reported the Ministry of Transport.

According to the ministry’s report, the Hồ Chí Minh Expressway project, which started in 2000, has completed 2,488km out of its total length of 2,744km, and 258km of branch routes.

With the remaining 256km in five ongoing component projects, the ministry expects some sections to be completed by 2025.

Specifically, the Chơn Thành - Đức Hoà section with a length of nearly 73km passing through four southern provinces of Bình Phước, Bình Dương, Tây Ninh and Long An, has total investment of VNĐ2.3 trillion (US$92.94 million) with a roadbed of 12.25m wide and road surface of 11.25m wide.

To date, all three construction and installation packages have been completed, two of which were started in January 2024.

Basic progress meets requirements for the section to be completed by the end of 2025.

The Chợ Chu - Trung Sơn Junction section, with a total length of nearly 29km passing through two northern provinces of Tuyên Quang and Thái Nguyên has two lanes, 9m-wide roadbed and 6m-wide road surface, designed with operational speed of 60km per hour and invested with VNĐ1.6 trillion ($66.93 million).

After having the investment project approved, the Hồ Chí Minh Expressway Project Management Unit (PMU) has drawn out construction design, estimated expenses and selected a construction contractor to start construction in the first quarter of this year. The section is expected to be completed next year.

The Hoa Liên - Tuý Loan section in Hòa Vang District of Đà Nẵng City is invested VNĐ2.1 trillion ($84.75 million) with total length of 11.5km and designed with four lanes and a roadbed width of 22m.

The project began construction at the end of August 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Up to now, the locality has only handed over land for building 2.5 out of 11.5km of expressway and one out of 20km of collector road.

The slow handover is affecting the project progress which has just met 0.5 per cent of the contract value.

The Rạch Sỏi - Bến Nhất and Gò Quao - Vĩnh Thuận sections has total investment of VNĐ3.9 trillion ($157.4 million) with total length of nearly 52km passing two southern provinces of Kiên Giang and Bạc Liêu, and designed with two lanes and road surface of 12m.

The PMU is completing procedures to start the construction in the first quarter of this year.

Particularly, the Cổ Tiết - Chợ Bến section with total length of over 87km passing through three northern provinces and cities of Phú Thọ, Hà Nội and Hòa Bình, has completed a pre-feasibility study report and submitted to the Ministry of Transport for appraisal and approval.

The Hồ Chí Minh Expressway has a starting point in northern Cao Bằng Province and an ending point at southern Cà Mau Province.

Under the Law on Planning, the expressway is integrated into the road network for the period 2021-30, with vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 1454/QĐ-TTg dated September 1, 2021. — VNS