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According to the road network plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the Moc Chau - Son La city expressway, with a length of 105km and a scale of 4 lanes, will be invested in before 2030.

Affirming the necessity of investing in this expressway according to the plan to meet transportation needs, support local socio-economic development, and maximize the effectiveness of the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway currently under investment, the Ministry of Transport stated that, during the process of developing the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026 - 2030, based on the ability to balance resources and the principles of capital allocation as prescribed, the ministry will report to the competent authorities to prepare for investment and allocate capital for this expressway.

Regarding the Son La - Dien Bien expressway section, according to the road network plan, this expressway will be 200km long, with 4 lanes, and the investment schedule is after 2030.

The Prime Minister has assigned the People's Committee of Dien Bien province as the competent authority to implement the Son La - Dien Bien - Tay Trang Border Gate Expressway construction project, phase 1, the section from Dien Bien Phu city to the intersection at Km15+800 on National Highway 279, with a length of approximately 44km, under the BTL (build-lease-transfer) contract form during the period 2022-2030.

The Ministry of Transport will coordinate and support Dien Bien province and the investor in the process of researching and finalizing the investment plan for the aforementioned project.

In addition, the Ministry will also closely coordinate with other ministries, sectors, and localities to seek and mobilize legal sources of capital to soon implement investment in the Son La - Dien Bien expressway section according to the plan.

For the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway Project, the section passing through Hoa Binh province has a length of 34km, with a Phase 1 investment of 9,777 billion VND for 2 lanes, divided into 2 construction packages. On September 29, 2024, Hoa Binh province held a groundbreaking ceremony for package XL-013. Currently, contractors are surveying, preparing construction drawings, constructing service roads, and leveling the construction site, and are carrying out construction on the sections from Km24+500 to Km27+500 and at Km38+400.

Specifically, the section through Son La province, with a length of 32.3km and a scale of 2 lanes, has an investment capital of 4,938 billion VND in phase 1. To date, the project is implementing procedures for preparing documents, surveying, counting, compensation, support, resettlement, land clearance, and selecting contractors for consulting packages.

Text and photos: KC