To date, the whole country has completed and put into operation 3,803km of expressways (3,345km of main expressways, 458km of interchanges and access roads), exceeding the target of 3,000km set by the Government; in particular, the entire North-South expressway from Cao Bang to Ca Mau has been basically completed and opened to traffic in accordance with the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

A view of the conference at the Son La venue.

Currently, investors and contractors are actively implementing the "3 shifts, 4 teams" approach, focusing on completing the remaining items in accordance with the Prime Minister's directives at the 22nd meeting of the Steering Committee, aiming to bring the project into operation as soon as possible to serve the travel needs of people and businesses during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Horse 2026.

Delegates attending at the Son La location.

Many new projects scheduled to commence in 2025 have seen vigorous land clearance efforts by local authorities to meet construction deadlines, such as the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau project (the section through Phu Tho), Ninh Binh - Hai Phong, and Cho Moi - Bac Kan. However, the Dau Giay - Tan Phu and Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh projects are still behind schedule. Some projects have essentially completed land clearance, with only a small amount remaining that has yet to be definitively resolved, affecting completion timelines.

The 13th National Congress of Delegates set the following goal:"By 2030, the goal is to have approximately 5,000km of expressways nationwide."Recently, the Ministry of Construction, local authorities, and the Vietnam Expressway Investment and Development Corporation (VEC) have reviewed and studied the investment and expansion of several sections of the expressway according to expressway standards.

For Son La province, the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway project, the section within Son La province, was assigned by the Prime Minister to the Son La Provincial People's Committee as the managing agency for investment in Decision No. 216/QD-TTg dated March 2, 2024. The project has a length of 32.3 km, a total investment of 4,445 billion VND, and an implementation period from 2023 to 2028.

To date, the project has disbursed 1,834 out of 3,062 billion VND.(Achieved 59.89% of the allocated capital plan and 37.23% of the total investment)The project is being implemented according to plan, ensuring progress in line with the overall plan for the 2023-2028 period. Son La province is determined to make the utmost effort, proactively overcoming difficulties related to weather and construction conditions in mountainous areas; focusing on directing and accelerating construction progress and striving to complete the project before December 31, 2027.(12 months ahead of the schedule approved by the Prime Minister).

Regarding the investment plan for the construction of expressway CT.03(Hoa Binh - Moc Chau - Son La - Dien Bien Expressway - Tay Trang Border Gate)In Son La province, the Provincial People's Committee has focused on reviewing and determining the route and impact scope of the project; proactively handling matters within its authority to complete the dossier and procedures for submission to the Ministry of Construction for appraisal, and submitting it to the competent authority for approval of the investment policy and allocation of funds for implementation.

Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that ministries, sectors, and localities need to pay special attention to the quality and safety of construction projects; ensure progress, avoid losses, waste, and corruption. For key projects, especially those related to resettlement and directly affecting people's lives, it is necessary to strengthen dialogue and exchange with people during the implementation process; focus on ensuring that new housing is better than old housing, and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are fully protected.

The selection of bidding and direct contracting methods must strictly comply with legal regulations; absolutely no splitting of contracts into smaller packages is allowed, while still ensuring efficiency and preventing corruption, collusion, and subcontracting. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction need to clearly identify key projects to prioritize and closely supervise, especially in localities outside the road network that have no other transportation options.

Priority investment should be given to provinces in the Northwest and Central Highlands regions to support disadvantaged localities in developing their road and air transport systems, thereby contributing to socio-economic development. For example, regarding Son La province, the Prime Minister requested ministries and agencies to consider and support the locality in upgrading and renovating Na San airport, in order to effectively exploit its potential and advantages in agriculture and tourism.

Furthermore, priority should be given to connecting transportation routes with neighboring Laos, in the spirit of "helping a friend is helping ourselves," thereby promoting economic development while closely aligning with strategic goals in foreign policy, national security and defense, and social welfare.

Thuy Ha