The Race to Build a Nation: 500 Days of Night to Complete Vietnam’s 3,000km Highway Network

19 August, 2024

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaking at the ceremony. Photo: VGP

At the launch of the emulation campaign on the morning of August 18, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam considers the synchronous development of infrastructure as one of the three strategic breakthroughs. The development of transport infrastructure is an important pillar, with the goal of having 3,000 km of expressways in operation by 2025 and striving for 5,000 km by 2030.

Implementing the Party’s Resolution, since the beginning of the term, the Government has been vigorously directing ministries, sectors, and localities to synchronously implement solutions to promote investment in transport infrastructure projects, achieving important and outstanding results.

So far, the country has completed approximately 1,000 km of expressways, passing through 15 provinces and cities, bringing the total length of expressways to nearly 2,100 km. Projects under construction span over 1,700 km, with about 1,400 km ready to be started; these projects stretch across 48 provinces and cities nationwide.

“To achieve the Resolution’s goal of developing expressways, from now until the end of 2025, we must complete at least about 1,000 km of expressways, and time is not on our side, with only about 500 days left,”

the Prime Minister emphasized.

Previously, in a report to the Government, the Ministry of Transport stated that according to the plan, by the end of 2025, about 1,172 km of expressways will be completed (including 1,104 km planned to be completed in 2025 and 68 km planned for completion in 2026, but the deadline may be shortened to finish in 2025).

Addressing Challenges in Construction Materials

The Prime Minister requested that the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities with ongoing transport infrastructure projects mobilize the entire political system to promote propaganda and mobilize people to speed up site clearance and relocation of technical infrastructure.

However, it is necessary to pay attention to investing in resettlement areas to ensure that people have a new place to live that is at least as good as their previous one… Project investors and contractors should do well in propaganda and mobilization, creating additional jobs and livelihoods for local people, generating excitement and closeness in the spirit of “leaving, people remember; staying, people love.”

Regarding construction progress, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that investors, project management units, and contractors raise their sense of responsibility and work in three shifts and four teams, eating and sleeping hastily and urgently, and doing one thing at a time. Promises must be kept, and words must be turned into efficient and tangible products that can be measured.

In terms of materials, the Prime Minister requested that localities share and support each other in the spirit of high determination and promoting the great unity of the whole nation, for the common goal.

The Prime Minister suggested that everyone should work with a bright mind, considering the common work as family work, striving to complete the tasks for the country and the people.

In addition, main contractors and large contractors should support subcontractors and local businesses in the spirit of working, benefiting, and developing together…

The Prime Minister believes that the goal of having 3,000 km of expressways in operation by 2025 will be achieved. Photo: VGP

The Prime Minister requested relevant units to propagate and replicate good people and good models effectively, in the spirit of using beauty to overcome ugliness and positivity to push away negativity, promoting creativity and good practices.

According to the Prime Minister, implementing a large volume of work in a short period is a challenge but also an opportunity to demonstrate the mettle, creativity, and management capacity of ministries, sectors, and localities, project management units, and contractors. This emulation campaign is also an occasion to evaluate and select good and capable contractors with a sense of responsibility to implement expressway projects in the following years.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that, immediately after today’s launching ceremony, ministries, sectors, localities, project management units, and contractors must build implementation plans and issue appropriate emulation criteria, focusing on difficult and key tasks, clearly identifying the completion of expressway projects.

The emulation campaign must create motivation, momentum, and inspiration. Accordingly, an interim review will be held in December 2024, a second review in June 2025, and a final review in December 2025.

At the same time, personal responsibility and responsibility to the collective must be raised, for the honor of the individual and the agency, for the socio-economic development of the country, and to meet the people’s expectations for a synchronous and modern system of expressways.

“I believe that with determination and unanimity in overcoming difficulties and challenges, we will achieve the goal of having 3,000 km of expressways in operation by 2025,”

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated.

Tung Phong