Vietnam advances plans for 349-km Ring Road 5 around Hanoi

Vietnam is accelerating preparations for the construction of Ring Road 5 around Hanoi, a 349-km route expected to ease congestion, improve regional connectivity, and support economic growth across the capital region.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc chaired a meeting last Saturday with the Ministry of Construction (MoC), other government agencies, and officials from seven provinces and cities to review preparations for the project.

According to the MoC, the Ring Road 5 economic corridor will play a strategic role in linking Hanoi with surrounding provinces by connecting east-west transport corridors and the capital’s major radial expressways.

The route will pass through Hanoi, Hai Phong city, and provinces of Ninh Binh, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, and Phu Tho, covering an area with a combined population of about 31 million people, or roughly 27% of Vietnam’s population, and accounting for approximately 32% of the country’s GDP.

The expressway will also connect six radial expressways serving Hanoi and improve access to Hai Phong - the largest seaport hub in northern Vietnam.

The project will comprise a six-lane expressway stretching about 349 km. Parallel roads meeting at least Class III road standards will be built along most sections, while collector roads will serve mountainous areas in Phu Tho and Thai Nguyen.

Plans also include 45 grade-separated interchanges, intelligent transport systems, traffic management centers, and modern service areas. Authorities said all seven participating provinces and cities have endorsed the proposed alignment and incorporated it into their local development plans.

The MoC has proposed 10 special policy mechanisms to accelerate implementation. Seven of these have previously been approved by the National Assembly for major infrastructure projects, covering investment approval procedures, capital allocation, land acquisition and resettlement, construction waste management, forest land conversion, architectural design selection, and contractor appointment.

Three additional mechanisms would be introduced specifically for the project, including adjustments to related planning schemes, flexibility in investment structure, and measures to address issues involving existing build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects.

Officials from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the seven local governments said the project is expected to expand urban and industrial development, accommodate rising transport demand and reduce congestion across northern Vietnam.

At the meeting, discussions focused on financing arrangements for the expressway, the role of local governments in building parallel roads, and responsibilities for land clearance.

Deputy PM Tuc said Ring Road 5 had been identified as a priority national infrastructure project and called for its early implementation.

“The project serves not only the interests of individual localities but also the overall interests of the nation and the capital region,” he said, urging the seven localities to commit funding for land acquisition and the construction of parallel roads.

Tuc asked the MoC to finalize the project’s investment cost, ensuring it remains consistent with average construction costs for other expressways while accounting for recent increases in material prices. The ministry was also asked to determine the project’s financing structure and compare the advantages and disadvantages of public-private partnership and fully state-funded investment models.

Once the investment plan is finalized, the MoF will assess the government’s capacity to mobilize and allocate funding for the project.