Vehicles on Cần Thơ-Cà Mau Expressway. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has ordered provinces and centrally governed cities to urgently review and invest in upgrading and completing expressways built under phased investment schemes, aiming to bring them up to full national standards.

According to the Prime Minister’s Official Dispatch No.05/CĐ-TTg dated January 20, the directive comes as part of efforts to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress on infrastructure development. In recent years, the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, sectors and localities have shown strong determination in rolling out expressway construction projects nationwide.

To date, nearly 3,300km of main expressway routes and 458km of interchanges and connecting roads have been put into operation, surpassing targets set by the Party Congress. In 2025 alone, an additional 1,490km of expressways were completed.

Notably, the North–South Expressway from Cao Bằng to Cà Mau has basically been completed and opened to traffic along its entire length.

In earlier stages, with the goal of quickly connecting expressway routes to create strong momentum for socio-economic development nationwide and across regions and given limited capital and manpower, expressway standards were applied under phased investment schemes. These schemes involved reduced numbers of lanes, narrower roadbeds and lower operating speeds.

On that basis, several expressway sections and routes were developed with two-lane cross-sections or four lanes without continuous emergency stopping lanes. Early investment, completion and operation of these expressways have made significant contributions to socio-economic development.

However, the approval, construction and operation of some expressway sections built under phased schemes, in the absence of unified national standards, have revealed shortcomings. These include potential risks to traffic safety, congestion and accidents.

To address these issues promptly, the Prime Minister has requested adjustments to many expressway projects to meet full-scale standards.

Under the directive, the Minister of Construction is tasked with leading and coordinating with relevant localities to urgently review and propose immediate investment plans to upgrade and fully complete expressways that have been or are being developed under phased schemes and do not yet meet the requirements of national technical regulation QCVN 117:2024/BGTVT. The aim is to bring these routes up to full expressway standards as soon as possible.

The ministry is also responsible for reviewing and investing in the full and synchronised completion of technical infrastructure facilities along these routes in accordance with the regulation and reporting to the Prime Minister by February 15.

Chairpersons of provincial and municipal people’s committees have been asked to urgently study and propose investment plans to upgrade and fully complete phased expressway projects under their authority and submit them to the Ministry of Construction by February 10.

The Minister of Finance has been requested to proactively coordinate with the Minister of Construction and provincial and municipal leaders to propose funding allocations to swiftly carry out investments needed to bring phased expressway projects up to national technical standards and report to the Prime Minister by February 15.

The Ministry of Public Security has been tasked with strengthening communication, inspection and strict enforcement against violations that undermine traffic safety. It will also coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to continue reviewing accident black spots and potential high-risk locations.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has been assigned to directly oversee ministries, agencies and localities in implementing these tasks to accelerate the upgrading and completion of expressways in line with national technical standards. — VNS