The New and Improved Highway: Expanding to 12 Lanes with an Overpass

Reasons for Upgrading the Highway

In a discussion with Tien Phong PV on March 27, Mr. Vu Duc Nhan, Deputy Director of Phap Van – Cau Gie BOT Joint Stock Company, outlined three reasons for proposing the expansion of the Phap Van – Cau Gie Highway from 6 to 12 lanes.

Firstly, the traffic volume on the route is almost double its design capacity. According to statistics, the average daily traffic through the toll station exceeds 85,000 standard vehicles, while the designed traffic capacity of the road is 55,000 vehicles per day.

Secondly, during weekends and holidays, the route often experiences traffic congestion, especially at the Phap Van gateway, leading to prolonged jams along the route.

Thirdly, in addition to the four existing intersections, three more junctions from other transportation projects will connect to the highway in the future: Ring Road 4, Ring Road 3.5, and the road connecting Phap Van – Cau Gie Highway with Ring Road 3.

“Based on these facts, if the route is not expanded promptly, congestion will become more severe,” said Mr. Nhan. “With the addition of three new junctions, traffic volume will further increase, causing overload and failing to maximize the efficiency of the invested transportation infrastructure.”

According to the Deputy Director of Phap Van – Cau Gie BOT JSC, the company has submitted an initial proposal to the Ministry of Construction and relevant units regarding the need to invest in expanding the highway to 12 lanes. Along with this, the investor also proposed three options for the authorities to consider and choose from.

Option 1: Implement the expansion on both sides of the highway according to the master plan until 2030, with a vision towards 2045. The first section, from Phap Van to Ring Road 4, will have 12 lanes, while the section from Ring Road 4 to Phu Thu (Ha Nam) will have 10 lanes, totaling a length of about 40 km.

Option 2: Construct a viaduct with 6 lanes from Phap Van to Dai Xuyen, spanning 29 km, while maintaining the existing 6 lanes below. The section from Dai Xuyen to Phu Thu will be expanded to 10 lanes according to the master plan.

Option 3: Build an elevated road with 6 lanes from Phap Van to Khe Hoi Bridge (Thuang Tin, Hanoi), approximately 10 km long, while retaining the existing 6 lanes below. The remaining section from Khe Hoi Bridge to Phu Thu will be expanded to 10-12 lanes according to the plan.

Constructing a Viaduct to Increase Capacity to 12 Lanes

Following the investor’s proposal, the Minister of Construction has assigned the Vietnam Road Administration to coordinate with the investor and relevant units to implement the next steps, ensuring compliance with regulations, and promptly report a specific plan to the Ministry’s leadership.

Responding to Tien Phong PV’s inquiry about the previous expansion project and the utilization of the central median strip, Mr. Nhan shared that while the median strip no longer has available land, there is still space between the retaining wall and the auxiliary roads on both sides of the highway. Therefore, the investor has proposed constructing two viaduct branches on either side (along the retaining wall), each branch accommodating 3 lanes and running parallel to the existing highway.

The investor has conducted a field survey and developed a graphic illustration for the two viaduct branches, which seems reasonably compatible with the existing site conditions, ensuring aesthetic and safe operation.

Regarding the timeline for the project, Mr. Nhan stated that if the proposal is approved by the Ministry of Construction and relevant units promptly, the project company will complete the technical dossier and preparatory investment steps this year. Subsequently, they will coordinate with concerned units to finalize land acquisition. Once the land is available, the investor will commence the construction project to expand the Phap Van – Cau Gie Highway to 12 lanes within two years.