The Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway is approximately 40.2 km long, with its starting point at the IC9 interchange of the Noi Bai – Lao Cai expressway in Phu Tho town, Phu Tho province. Its endpoint connects to National Highway 2 in Luong Vuong commune, Tuyen Quang city, Tuyen Quang province.
The Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway began construction in February 2021 and was inaugurated in December 2023. The section passing through Tuyen Quang is over 11 km long, while the majority of the expressway, nearly 29 km, runs through Phu Tho.
Initially, the expressway was planned to have two lanes in Phase 1, completed by the third quarter of 2023. Phase 2, with four lanes, was to be implemented after 2025. However, after an inspection in January 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh decided to immediately implement the four-lane design, believing that the Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway, connecting to the Hanoi – Lao Cai expressway and eventually to Ha Giang, holds significant importance.
Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, and Ha Giang are all provinces facing economic challenges. Investing in this expressway will shorten the distance between the two provinces from 70 km to about 40 km, while also opening up new development opportunities. Therefore, building only two lanes would not be as effective and would not meet the development demands.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister instructed relevant agencies and the provinces of Tuyen Quang and Phu Tho to expedite procedures to submit the investment adjustment proposal, aiming for immediate construction of a complete four-lane expressway with a modern design and a maximum speed of 120 km/h, without waiting until after 2025.
During construction, the Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway project underwent adjustments, with an additional investment of approximately VND 500 billion, bringing the total investment to VND 3,753 billion.
The Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway features a central rigid median divider, a designed speed of 90 km/h, a road width of 17 m, and a carriageway width of 14 m. In the completion phase, it can accommodate speeds of 100-120 km/h. Currently, due to the absence of emergency lanes, the speed limit is reduced to ensure traffic safety.
The Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway traverses hilly and rural areas with sparse population. While this reduces compensation costs for land clearance, it also requires significant effort to cut through mountains and forests. The photo shows a section of the expressway in Phu Tho province, with vast fields on both sides.
The entire route includes 44 underpasses for local traffic and interchanges with National Highway 2D, National Highway 70, Provincial Road 314B, National Highway 2, and Provincial Road 315.
The opening of the Tuyen Quang – Phu Tho expressway serves as a catalyst for investment and economic development. Several urban and industrial areas are emerging along the expressway, notably the Phu Ha Industrial Park (adjacent to the IC9 interchange) and the Flamingo Heritage Tan Trao City project. The photo showcases the Phu Ha Industrial Park in Phu Tho town, Phu Tho province.
This is also the first billion-dollar expressway in Tuyen Quang province, reducing travel time from the center of Tuyen Quang city to Hanoi by one-third, from 3 hours to just over 2 hours. It provides a new impetus for the socio-economic development of the northern mountainous provinces.
