An overview of Bắc Giang-Lạng Sơn Expressway. Photo vietnamplus.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Bắc Giang-Lạng Sơn Expressway will open for traffic in January next year, cutting travelling time from Hà Nội to the northern mountainous province of Lạng Sơn from 3.5 to about 2.5 hours.
By the end of this month, road tests will begin on the 64km stretch.
Phạm Minh Đức, deputy general director of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Bắc Giang-Lạng Sơn Joint Stock Company said the construction’s progress has met deadlines and requirements for trial opening this month.
“The road surface has been basically completed. Contractors are accelerating progress of other works,” he said.
So far 95 per cent of the construction work is finished, according to the company.
It will run from National Highway 1’s section in Mai Sao Commune, Chi Lăng District of Lạng Sơn Province to the end of National Highway 1’s section crossing Hà Nội-Bắc Giang area.
The road is 25m wide with designed speed of 100km per hour. It has four lanes including two emergency lanes.
The expressway is part of Bắc Giang-Lạng Sơn BOT project with investment of more than VNĐ12 trillion (US$521.7 million).
Another part of the project is to improve the surface of a National Highway No1’s section covering 105km.
Once being opened to traffic, the expressway will reduce congestion and boost socio-economic development of northern provinces and cities.
In February this year, the Prime Minister approved adding Chi Lăng-Hữu Nghị Expressway invested at more than VĐ5.6 billion ($243,500) as part of the Bắc Giang-Lạng Sơn project. — VNS