The Thang Long Boulevard Highway expansion project, a 6.7 km stretch connecting National Highway 21 to the Hanoi – Hoa Binh Expressway, boasts a total investment of over VND 5,200 billion. The project is funded by Hanoi’s budget and central government support.
The project involves road widening, with a cross-section of 120 – 180m, divided into 6 expressway lanes and 2 parallel lanes, similar to Thang Long Boulevard. The photo shows the intersection of Thang Long Boulevard (above) and National Highway 21 (below).
The route starts at the roundabout connecting Thang Long Boulevard with National Highway 21 (Thach Hoa commune, Thach That district). The 11 km2 plot where Thang Long Boulevard meets National Highway 21 will be occupied by the Vietnam National University campus. The route includes an underpass for students, faculty, and local residents.
The endpoint connects to the Hanoi – Hoa Binh Expressway at the intersection with Van Hoa village road (Yen Binh commune, Thach That district). A complete interchange will be built here, with branches leading to Hoa Lac – Hoa Binh via the expressway junction, Thang Long Boulevard, and Ho Chi Minh Road.
The Thang Long Boulevard section connecting National Highway 21 to the Hanoi – Hoa Binh Expressway is expected to include 4 overpasses and 5 underpasses. One of the underpasses will run directly along the main route, while the other four will be pedestrian underpasses. In the future, this stretch will have a parallel urban railway line.
Currently, the road from Hanoi to Hoa Binh is mostly expressway. However, the 6.7 km section of Thang Long Boulevard Expressway from National Highway 21 to the beginning of the Hanoi – Hoa Binh Expressway is a small, narrow road, only about 12 m wide, deteriorated, with many potholes and dust.
This is also a route with high traffic volume, especially heavy trucks. Several sections are accident hotspots.
This section of the road is unlit at night, posing many risks to traffic safety. Additionally, numerous spontaneous openings created by local residents on both sides of the road for motorbikes and pedestrians to cross further increase the danger.
The project commenced in Xuan Tien commune, Thach That district, Hanoi. The photo shows the Project Management Unit for the Thang Long Boulevard Expressway section from National Highway 21 to the Hanoi – Hoa Binh Expressway (to the left of the Management Unit). However, after 6 months of construction, there have been no significant changes to this road.
The project will be operational in 2026, facilitating socio-economic development, driving the growth of the Hoa Lac satellite city and the chain of satellite cities in the West; completing the expressway from Thang Long Boulevard to Hoa Binh, reducing travel time from Hanoi to Hoa Binh in particular and from Hanoi to the Northwest provinces in general.
Previously, the 30 km Thang Long Boulevard was a westward radial expressway, connecting the city center with Hoa Binh and the Northwest provinces, and was opened to traffic in October 2010 with 6 expressway lanes and parallel roads on both sides. The 26 km Hanoi – Hoa Binh Expressway was put into operation in 2018 with 2 motor vehicle lanes and a speed limit of 80 km/h.
