Vietnam has opened 730 kilometers of new expressways since mid-2021 when the current government was sworn in, raising the tally to nearly 1,900 km nationwide so far.
The expansion was made possible after two expressways – 23km My Thuan-Can Tho and 40.2km Tuyen Quang-Phu Tho, costing a combined VND8.51 trillion ($350 million) – were opened to traffic on Sunday.
Another 1,700 km of expressways is under construction, spinning hope that the country’s expressway network will be expanded to 3,000 km throughout 2025 and over 5,000 km by 2030.
Also on Saturday, the upgraded Dien Bien Airport and My Thuan 2 Bridge were put into use. The four works cost a total of VND15 trillion ($616.5 million).
Speaking at a ceremony in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien, where Vietnamese troops defeated the French colonizers at the historic Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the significance of the concluded transport projects: cutting logistic costs and boosting travel and economic activity.
During construction, the four projects all faced legal hurdles, limited funding, and material shortages, but they were finished before their respective schedules thanks to efforts made by authorities at all levels and the support of local people.
The construction of My Thuan 2 Bridge proved a success both in terms of technological dominance and financing as it was built with Vietnamese capital and the cost was cut by half, from $5,000 to $2,400 a square meter, Chinh stressed.
My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway and My Thuan 2 Bridge were the last component projects of the East wing of the North-South Expressway connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho city with a length of 120 km.
They will help cut the travel time between the two cities to two-plus hours from 3.5 hours and will spur socioeconomic development in the Southwestern region.