Accelerating Progress: Aiming for 1,200 Additional Kilometers of Expressway by 2025

On the morning of August 8, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Steering Committee of the Government for the National Key Traffic Projects (the Steering Committee), chaired the 13th meeting of the Steering Committee.

The meeting was held in a hybrid format, with the Government’s headquarters in Hanoi connected to localities across the country that are home to key national and sectoral transport projects.

Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, members of the Steering Committee; chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees; and representatives of project management boards, investors, and contractors.

The meeting aimed to inspect and urge the implementation of tasks after the 12th meeting and discuss solutions to further remove difficulties and obstacles, thereby accelerating the progress of the projects.

Currently, the list of projects under the Steering Committee’s direction and guidance includes 40 large-scale projects/92 sub-projects in three fields: roads, railways, and aviation, spanning 48 provinces and centrally-run cities.

After 12 meetings, the Prime Minister, Head of the Steering Committee, has issued 12 conclusions and over 400 urgent documents to urge and remove difficulties and obstacles, promoting the deployment of the projects.

1,700 km of expressways under construction

According to reports and opinions at the meeting, since the beginning of the term, the country has completed two expressway projects (with 12 sub-projects, including 11 sub-projects of the North-South Expressway in the East in the 2017-2020 period and the Tuyen Quang-Phu Tho Expressway) with a total length of 693 km passing through 15 provinces and cities, bringing the total length of expressways nationwide to about 2,021 km.

According to the Ministry of Transport, there are about 1,700 km of expressway projects under construction across the country, from the North-South Expressway projects to projects connecting the East-West axis, the Northwest region, and the Central Highlands region.

Of these, about 1,200 km are expected to be completed by 2025, including 13 projects and sub-projects with a length of 736 km that have favorable conditions and will be completed in 2025, and 10 projects/sub-projects with a length of 377 km that need to focus on removing difficulties and working in three shifts and four teams to complete in 2025…

The reports and opinions at the meeting agreed that after the 12th meeting, ministries, sectors, and localities have made efforts in implementing tasks, focusing on investment preparation and execution.

Hanoi has completed the acceptance of the Nhon-Hanoi Station elevated section to put it into operation from August 8. Ho Chi Minh City has approved the investment policy for the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai project under the PPP format and adjusted the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien urban railway project.

The Ministry of Transport has submitted to the National Assembly and obtained approval for the investment policy of the Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh project; reported to the Government on the high-speed North-South railway project; approved the Dau Giay-Tan Phu Expressway project; and completed and put into operation the remaining section of the Dien Chau-Bai Vot Expressway sub-project.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has completed the appraisal of the Dau Giay-Tan Phu and Dong Dang-Tra Linh projects. The Ministry of Construction has coordinated with the Ministry of Transport to complete the survey of some norms in expressway projects and is finalizing the amendment of the circular on construction norms.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised the Government to issue Decree No. 91/2024/ND-CP dated July 18, 2024, resolving many difficulties in procedures for forest land use purpose conversion.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has explained the opinions of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee and is implementing procedures to authorize the Prime Minister to represent the Government in reporting to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on adjusting the policy on forest land and paddy land use purpose conversion of the North-South Expressway in the East project in the 2021-2025 period; advised the Prime Minister to assign indicators and supply construction materials for key transport projects in the Southern region according to the direction of the Prime Minister; and reported on the difficulties and obstacles in supplying construction materials for key transport projects in the Southern region.

Promoting growth momentum and creating new development space

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed with and highly appreciated the reports and opinions presented. He assigned the Government Office and the Ministry of Transport to synthesize and issue the conclusions of the meeting.

On behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister acknowledged, praised, highly appreciated, and thanked the active participation, efforts, and dedication of the ministries, sectors, localities, project management boards, enterprises, contractors, supervisors, and especially the team of engineers, workers, and employees who have been working enthusiastically at the project sites over the past time.

The completed and operational projects have contributed to promoting socio-economic development, creating new development space for localities with projects running through, forming new urban and service areas, increasing the added value of land, reducing logistics costs, enhancing the competitiveness of products and goods, facilitating travel, creating jobs and livelihoods for people, developing businesses, promoting public investment disbursement, and driving growth momentum, thereby generating trust and support from the people.

Along with the achievements and positive results, the Prime Minister also pointed out that some tasks have not been completed on schedule or have not been implemented as required. Land clearance in some localities is still slow. It is necessary to urgently complete the system of norms and guide the determination of prices for construction materials at the mining site under a special mechanism. The implementation of procedures for coordinating the supply of filling materials, increasing the mining capacity, and issuing mining licenses according to the assigned indicators for projects in the Southern region as directed by the Prime Minister is still slow. The Cao Lanh-An Huu sub-project has not yet started. For these issues, the Prime Minister requested that relevant parties seriously draw lessons and make improvements in the coming time.

Through the process of directing and administering the implementation of projects, valuable experiences have been gained.

Accordingly, the Steering Committee must operate seriously, regularly, substantially, and effectively, creating motivation and inspiration for related parties.

To fulfill their assigned tasks well, ministries, agencies, and localities, especially leaders, must raise their sense of responsibility, put the interests of the nation and the people first, and promote their sense of responsibility with a spirit of always being receptive, learning, and self-improvement.

State management and corporate governance must be promptly adjusted to suit requirements, tasks, and practical situations, promoting digitalization and moving towards intelligence, reducing red tape and administrative procedures, and helping reduce costs for people and businesses.

Along with that, it is necessary to pay attention to promoting the spirit of solidarity, unity, support, and sharing among state management agencies, Party committees, local authorities, enterprises, and people.

In the process of performing tasks and handling difficulties, it is necessary to boldly and creatively apply the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, promoting the spirit of proactiveness, positivity, self-reliance, and self-improvement to the utmost, striving to overcome difficulties and challenges, learning and improving along the way, without being pedantic or hasty, but with the utmost determination. Difficulties must be addressed promptly, and responsibilities must be clearly defined and fulfilled.

Ministries, sectors, localities, investors, contractors, consultants, engineers, workers, and employees must be proactive, enthusiastic, and determined with the spirit of “overcoming the sun, winning the rain,” “only discussing doing, not discussing backing down,” “three shifts and four teams,” “eating in a hurry, sleeping in a hurry,” “going through holidays, Tet, and days off,” “doing one thing at a time,” “what is committed must be done, what is promised must be fulfilled,” and “what is done and implemented must produce specific, measurable results.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that through the implementation of the North-South Expressway projects in the East in the 2017-2020 period and the projects under construction, we have accumulated valuable experience. Therefore, the implementation in the coming time must continue to promote the achieved results, limit and overcome existing shortcomings, and deploy faster, more professionally, and more effectively.

Developing a detailed plan and schedule for project completion in 2025

The Prime Minister emphasized the goal of completing about 1,200 km of expressways by 2025, bringing the total length of expressways nationwide to over 3,000 km, thus realizing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and celebrating the Party Congresses at all levels, towards the 14th National Party Congress, the 80th anniversary of National Day, and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification.

However, the weather has entered the rainy season, with forecasts of many abnormal and unfavorable changes. The remaining time until the end of 2025 is not much, and it is necessary to accelerate and break through to implement a large volume of work. Relevant parties must perform well the procedures for project preparation, site clearance, contractor selection, material supply assurance, construction progress promotion, quality control, and technical and artistic control, ensuring safety, hygiene, and environmental restoration.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with localities to urgently develop and issue a detailed plan and schedule for project completion in 2025, suitable for site clearance conditions, material sources, and weather conditions, as a basis for monitoring, urging, directing, and closely controlling the construction progress of projects, ensuring the achievement of the target of 3,000 km of expressways by the end of 2025. Especially for projects that are behind schedule, there must be a spirit of proactiveness, determination, and great efforts from the managing agencies, investors, and contractors to complete them on time.

Along with that, it is necessary to actively respond to and effectively implement the emulation movement “500 days and nights of focus to complete the victory of expressway projects”; assign tasks with “clear people, clear work, clear time, clear responsibilities, clear products, and clear effects.”

Regarding site clearance and technical infrastructure relocation (high-voltage power lines), the Prime Minister stated that this is a very important task, directly affecting the project schedule. Many projects have a small volume of site clearance left but are facing difficulties. Therefore, he requested that localities focus more, be more determined, and mobilize the entire political system as directed by the Prime Minister to soon complete the site clearance work.

Regarding construction implementation, the Ministry of Transport, localities assigned as managing agencies, and the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises directed investors and contractors to coordinate with localities to remove difficulties and obstacles in site clearance, technical infrastructure relocation, and construction material supply; focus, be determined, and make great efforts with the spirit of “overcoming the sun, winning the rain,” “only discussing doing, not discussing backing down,” “three shifts and four teams,” “eating in a hurry, sleeping in a hurry,” “going through holidays, Tet, and days off,” “doing one thing at a time,” and “what is committed must be done, what is promised must be fulfilled” to accelerate the progress of project implementation.

The Ministry of Transport, localities, and project management boards directed contractors to focus on constructing items that are critical to the project schedule, such as large tunnels, bridges, areas that need ground improvement, and soft soil treatment…

The Prime Minister assigned specific tasks that ministries, sectors, and localities need to focus on implementing in the coming time. Accordingly, the Ministry of Transport continues to direct investors and contractors to coordinate with localities to complete the North-South Expressway project in the 2021-2025 period, the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau project, and the Hoa Lien-Tuy Loan project in 2025 and the Khanh Hoa-Buon Ma Thuot sub-project, and the Ho Chi Minh Road project as planned.

It is necessary to urgently select an investor to soon start the Dau Giay-Tan Phu project; complete the procedures to submit to the National Assembly for adjustment of the investment policy of the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau project; promote the implementation of the Long Thanh International Airport sub-project; and complete the proposal for the investment policy of the high-speed North-South railway project to submit to competent levels.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment coordinates with the Ministry of Transport to soon complete the procedures and submit to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee the Resolution on adjusting the policy on forest land and paddy land use purpose conversion of the North-South Expressway in the East project in the 2021-2025 period; and advises the Government to issue a resolution on adjusting the time allowed for daily operation of sand and gravel mining in rivers.