Vietnam inaugurates, breaks ground on 250 key projects amid national anniversary celebrations

Party chief To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday attended the groundbreaking and inauguration ceremony of 250 key projects to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's August Revolution and the National Day (September 2, 1945-2025).

Of the 250 projects, 161 projects have broken ground, while 89 others inaugurated. They are considered driving forces of the country's economic expansion of over 8% in 2025 and double-digit growths in the following years.

Vietnam Exposition Center inaugurated

The Vietnam Exposition Center (VEC) project in Dong Anh, Hanoi is a massive development that completed construction after only 10 months. Vietnam Exhibition Fair Center JSC (VEFAC), with Vingroup holding an over 85% stake, is the investor.

The complex spans over 900,000 square meters, with total investment capital of VND7 trillion ($275 million). Designed with 304,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space, the VEC ranks among the world’s top 10 largest exhibition complexes and the largest in Southeast Asia.

The center includes seven major components, notably the Kim Quy (Turtle) Exhibition Hall - the world’s largest circular exhibition structure, covering 104,863 sqm with a dome roof supported by 24,000 tons of steel.

Additionally, there are four outdoor exhibition parks spanning over 200,000 sqm, placing it in the global top three for open-air exhibition space. These facilities are designed for large-scale festivals, events, and exhibitions.

Expressways, high-speed raiways

Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Construction started construction on six expressway projects with a total length of 364 km and many road expansion/upgrading projects.

Notably, it commenced construction on the expressway from Ca Mau province to the country's southernmost point, the last piece on the North-South axis.

Construction also began on resettlement projects serving the North-South high-speed railway project, with total investment capital of nearly VND10 billion ($380,000), and the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong route.

Since the beginning of the year, 455 km of expressways have been completed, bringing the total length of expressways put into operation to about 2,476 km. It is expected that from now until the end of the year, the country will have an additional 700 km, bringing the total to 3,000 km by end-2025 and 5,000 km by 2030.

Airport building, expansion

Regarding aviation, construction started on the Gia Binh airport project in Bac Ninh province with total investment capital of VND195,124 billion ($7.42 billion), the Cat Bi Terminal T2 project (Hai Phong city), and the Ca Mau Airport expansion project (Ca Mau province).

Gia Binh International Airport in Bac Ninh province, an industrial hub neighboring Hanoi, is set to surpass Noi Bai as northern Vietnam’s largest airport.

It will also overtake Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport to rank second nationwide, trailing only the 5,000-hectare Long Thanh International Airport, now under construction in the southern province of Dong Nai.

The airport will span up to 1,960 hectares and is expected to handle around 30 million passengers annually by 2030 and roughly 50 million by 2050.

Included in the national airport system master plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Gia Binh is categorized as “level 4E”, the term used for airports that can accommodate aircraft with a “reference field length” of 1,800 m and above and a wingspan up to 65 m.

The project is estimated to require an investment of around VND120.84 trillion ($4.62 billion) for the 2021-2030 period, and about VND61.46 trillion ($2.35 billion) through 2050.

It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, in time for the APEC Summit 2027.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Senior General Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security, said that Gia Binh airport is positioned as a strategic dual-use airport of the capital region, serving both socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security tasks.

Ngoc Hoi bridge connecting Hanoi with Hung Yen province

Construction commenced on the Ngoc Hoi Bridge project and the roads at both ends of the bridge - a key project connecting Hanoi with Hung Yen province, with total investment capital of about VND12,000 billion ($456.2 million).

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh said that according to the general planning of the capital until 2045, with a vision to 2065, Hanoi will have 19 road bridges across the Red River. In 2025, the city plans to build seven new bridges, including Ngoc Hoi Bridge.

The Ngoc Hoi Bridge and approach road project, about 7.5 km long, is expected to be completed in 2028. Of this, the section in Hanoi is 5.2 km long and that in Hung Yen is 2.3 km long. The bridge is 38 m wide, with six lanes for motor vehicles and two mixed lanes.

The project is expected to create a new link between Hanoi and Hung Yen, expanding development space in Hanoi and the provinces of Hung Yen, Ha Nam, and Bac Ninh, contributing to the formation of an important traffic axis in the capital region.

Currently, Hanoi has nine bridges across the Red River including Thang Long, Chuong Duong, Vinh Tuy, Thanh Tri, Nhat Tan, Vinh Thinh, Long Bien, Van Lang, and Trung Ha.

According to the planning until 2030, with a vision to 2050, the city will add nine more bridges: Tu Lien, Tran Hung Dao, Van Phuc, Hong Ha, Me So (Ring Road 4), New Thang Long (Ring Road 3), Thuong Cat, Ngoc Hoi (Ring Road 3.5), and Phu Xuyen.

Another event is the inauguration of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge across Tien River connecting Dong Thap province with Vinh Long province in the south, with total investment capital of over VND6,800 billion ($258.53 million).

Inauguration of $57 mln wind power plant in Quang Tri

In Lao Bao commune, Hai Anh Wind Power Joint Stock Company and Quang Tri province held the inauguration ceremony of the 40MW Hai Anh wind power plant.

The project, with eight turbines of 5 MW, started construction in December 2023. It has investment capital of over VND1,500 billion ($57 million) and annual electricity output of about 118 million kWh.

It will help reduce emissions of more than 77,000 tons of CO2 equivalent to the absorption capacity of 8,000 hectares of forest.

This is the first onshore wind power project to participate in the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), within the framework of cooperation between the governments of Vietnam and Japan.

Saigon Marina International Financial Center debuts

The debut of Saigon Marina International Financial Center (Saigon Marina IFC) at No.2 Ton Duc Thang street, Saigon ward marks the beginning of the roadmap for building an International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

It has 55 floors above ground and five basements, with a total floor area of over 106,000 square meters, of which approximately 87,000 m2 is for Class A offices and the remaining for commercial centers, restaurants, meeting rooms, and high-end amenities.

Saigon Marina IFC is one of the three tallest towers in Vietnam, designed according to LEED Gold standards with energy-saving and environmentally friendly solutions.

The tower is introduced as a pioneer project in Vietnam applying the TOD (transit-oriented development) model with direct connection to Ba Son station-Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien).

Basement B2 of the tower connects with the Ba Son underground station. The tower campus also owns gates 4 and 5 of Metro Line 1, providing a convenient travel experience.

With a prime location and strategic connection network, Saigon Marina IFC is expected to become a destination for multinational corporations and financial institutions. The tower is developed and operated by Singapore's Keppel Corporation.