The North–South Expressway East (Vietnamese: Đường cao tốc Bắc–Nam phía Đông) is an expressway in Vietnam located very close to National Route 1, acting as an artery traversing the entirety of Vietnam from North to South. Similar to National Route 1, the expressway starts from Lạng Sơn and ends at Cà Mau. At the northern border, the expressway will connect to Nanning-Youyiguan Expressway in China.
The project has a total length of , starting at Huu Nghi border gate (Lạng Sơn) and terminating at the ring road of Cà Mau city. The control points of the expressway are located in the Eastern Transport Corridor, running almost parallel to the upgraded and expanded National Highway 1. The North-South Expressway is being built with 18 sections acting as nodes: Lạng Sơn, Hà Nội, Ninh Bình, Thanh Hóa, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Trị, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, Nha Trang, Phan Thiết, Dầu Giây, Long Thành, Bến Lức, HCMC - Trung Luong, My Thuan, Cần Thơ and Cà Mau, with a total cost estimate of VND 350 trillion (equivalent to US$18.5 billion).
History Background and current situation The transport corridor on the north–south axis from Lạng Sơn to Cà Mau plays a very important role: connecting the political capital of Hanoi with the economic center of Ho Chi Minh City, passing through 32 provinces and cities accounting for 62.1% of the population, contributing 65.7% of the gross domestic product, affecting 74% of seaports (classes I, II), 75% of economic regions of the country and especially connecting 4 key economic regions (North, Central, South and Mekong Delta), connecting 16 out of 23 airports (91% of passenger traffic). This is the most important transport corridor in the transport infrastructure system of Vietnam.
In 2019, the Ministry of Transport decided to exclude foreign investors from bidding on the North-South Expressway, mainly to prevent Chinese companies from participating. Public backlash was feared if Chinese companies would collect toll fees, due to strong anti-Chinese sentiment in the country, and national security concerns played a part as well. However, lack of bidders has led to low competition between the bids, and two out of five sections had not attracted any bids.
According to 2017 estimates, yearly total transport volume over Vietnam's north-south corridor would be 45.37 million passengers and 62.27 million tons of goods by 2020, which would exceed the capacity of current infrastructure by 10% to 25%. Four goals of the project have been formulated by the Ministry of Transport: Allow the economy to be more competitive within ASEAN and the WTO. Improve transportation capacity and speed along the North-South transport corridor. Promoto socio-economic development and ensure national security. Connect the capital and political centre Hanoi and the economic centre Ho Chi Minh City with the 4 key economic zones, urban areas, key industrial zones, border gates and international seaports. North, Central and Southern Vietnam, and Mekong Delta
From 2004 to 2021, Vietnam only has about of expressways put into operation, equal to 18% of the plan, the average construction speed is 74 km/year, only 1.5% of the development speed of expressways in China during the same period; has not yet fulfilled the goal of "completing and putting into use about 2,000 km of expressways by 2020" according to Resolution 13-NQ/TW.. of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (just reached 48%). The implementation of investment in expressways has not been rational, and has not been distributed harmoniously among key economic regions, dynamic regions and disadvantaged areas.
History The idea of building the North-South Expressway appeared before 2010, when the demand for road travel between provinces along the north-south axis increased rapidly, while the existing National Route 1 was overloaded. although it has been widened at least four lanes, and at the same time build a new route avoiding urban areas. However, the expansion capacity of National Route 1 becomes limited because people live on both sides of the road, so the cost of clearing is very large. In addition, National Route 1 almost all sections run along the same corridor with North–South Railway, the possibility of expansion is not feasible. The construction of the North-South Expressway as well as other expressway systems in Vietnam aims to separate passenger cars, non-stop passenger cars and long-distance trucks from the traffic of rudimentary vehicles and two- to three-wheelers, passenger cars, passenger cars often pick up and drop off passengers along the road and trucks, creating conditions for long-distance vehicles to run faster and safer.
The predecessors of the North-South Expressways are the Phap Van–Cau Gie bypass completed in 1998, along with the NH1 bypass, the Phap Van–Bac Giang section. At that time, these roads were only bypasses of National Highway 1 and did not meet expressway standards. In 2012, the East North-South Expressway running through the two areas above was built on the basis of upgrading the existing bypass, building overpasses at sections through Phap Van urban area and parallel roads for two-wheelers.
The first expressway completed in the North-South Expressway system is Phap Van–Cau Gie Expressway, which opened to traffic in 2002.
According to the original plan, the North-South Expressway is long to the east, starting point from Phap Van (Hanoi), ending point is Can Tho city. However, the system planning for the 2021-2030 period has been adjusted. According to which, the North-South Expressway is long, the starting point is from Huu Nghi border gate (Lang Son) and the end point is Ca Mau City. Accordingly, two expressways Hanoi–Lang Son (old CT.03) and Can Tho–Ca Mau expressway (old CT.19) are combined into the North–South Expressway planning.
Expressway planning
2010 The detailed planning of the entire North-South expressway east of CT.01 was announced by the Prime Minister in January 2010. There are 16 main sections of the route from north to south. The total length of the route from Hanoi to Can Tho is 1811 km. Number Expressway section nameStart End LengthNumber Expressway section nameStart End Length1 Phap Van - Cau Gie Phap VanCau Gie 30 km9 Quang Ngai - Binh Dinh Quang NgaiAn Nhon 169.5 km2Cau Gie - Ninh BinhCau GieNinh Binh50 km10Binh Dinh - Nha TrangAn NhonDien Khanh215 km3Ninh Binh – Thanh HoaNinh BinhNghi Son121 km11Nha Trang – Phan ThietDien KhanhPhan Thiet226 km4Thanh Hoa - Ha TinhNghi SonHong Linh97 km12Phan Thiet - Dau GiayPhan ThietLong Khanh98 km5Ha Tinh - Quang BinhHong LinhBung145 km13HCMC - Long Thanh - Dau GiayLong KhanhLong Thanh43 km6Quang Binh - Quang TriBungCam Lo117 km14Long Thanh - Ben LucLong ThanhBen Luc58 km7Quang Tri - Da NangCam LoTuy Loan182.48 km15HCMC - Trung LuongBến LứcChâu Thành37 km8Da Nang - Quang NgaiTuy LoanQuang Ngai130 km16Trung Luong - My Thuan - Can ThoChau ThanhCan Tho92 km
2021 In September 2021, the Government announced the Road Network Plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, re-planned the North-South Expressway from Huu Nghi border gate (Cao Lộc, Lạng Sơn) to Ca Mau city (Ca Mau province) with a length of about 2,063 km, scale from 4 to 10 lanes. The whole route is divided into 3 major segments, the Hanoi to Can Tho segment is CT.01 in the 2010 master plan. The total number of subdivided sections is 38. All will be built before 2030.
Segment of Huu Nghi Border Gate - Phap Van Name Expressway section name Province/Municipality Length1 Huu Nghi border gate - Chi LangLạng Sơn 43 km2 Chi Lang – Bac GiangLạng Sơn – Bắc Giang 64 km3 Bac Giang – Phu Đong BridgeBac Giang – Hanoi 46 km4 Ring Road 3 (Hanoi) from Phu Dong Bridge to Phap Van(including low road)Hanoi 14 km
Segment of Hanoi - Can Tho Name Expressway section name Province/Municipality LengthName Expressway section name Province/Municipality Length1 Phap Van - Cau Gie Hanoi30 km 17 Quang Ngai - Hoai NhonQuảng Ngãi – Bình Định 88 km2Cau Gie - Cao BoHanoi – Hà Nam – Nam Định50 km18Hoai Nhon - Quy NhonBình Định69 km3Cao Bo - Mai SonNam Định – Ninh Bình15 km19Quy Nhon - Chi ThanhBình Định – Phú Yên68 km4Mai Son - National Route 45Ninh Bình – Thanh Hóa63 km20Chi Thanh - Van PhongPhú Yên – Khánh Hòa51 km5National Route 45 - Nghi SonThanh Hóa43 km21Deo Ca TunnelPhú Yên – Khánh Hòa14 km6Nghi Son - Dien ChauThanh Hóa – Nghệ An50 km22Van Phong - Nha TrangKhánh Hòa83 km7Dien Chau - Bai VotNghệ An – Hà Tĩnh49 km23Nha Trang - Cam LamKhánh Hòa49 km8Bai Vot - Ham NghiHà Tĩnh36 km24Cam Lam - Vinh HaoKhánh Hòa – Ninh Thuận – Bình Thuận79 km9Ham Nghi - Vung AngHà Tĩnh54 km25Vinh Hao - Phan ThietBình Thuận101 km10Vung Ang - BungHà Tĩnh – Quảng Bình58 km26Phan Thiet - Dau GiayBình Thuận – Đồng Nai99 km11Bung - Van NinhQuảng Bình51 km27HCMC - Long Thanh - Dau GiayĐồng Nai21 km12Van Ninh - Cam LoQuảng Bình – Quảng Trị68 km28Long Thanh - Ben LucĐồng Nai – HCMC – Long An58 km13Cam Lo - La SonQuảng Trị – Huế98 km29HCMC - Trung LuongHCMC - Long An - Tiền Giang40 km14La Son - Hoa LienHuế – Đà Nẵng66 km30Trung Luong - My ThuanTiền Giang51 km15Hoa Lien - Tuy LoanĐà Nẵng12 km31My Thuan 2 BridgeTiền Giang - Vĩnh Long7 km16Da Nang - Quang NgaiĐà Nẵng – Quảng Ngãi127 km32My Thuan - Can ThoTiền Giang – Cần Thơ23 km
Segment of Can Tho - Ca Mau Number Expressway section nameProvince/Municipality Length1 Can Tho 2 Bridge Cần Thơ 15 km2 Can Tho - Ca Mau Cần Thơ – Cà Mau 109 km
Investment stages The entire expressway construction process is divided into several stages, each phase building a number of smaller routes in the larger sections. The plan for budget construction and use of each period is approved by the National Assembly of Vietnam. As follows: In the period of 2017–2020, the investment is for 654 km, the total investment is VND 118,716 billion NumberExpressway section nameLengthLanesPreliminary investment level (billion VND)1 Cao Bo - Mai Son15 km 4 1,6122Mai Son - National Route 4563 km414,7033National Route 45 - Nghi Son43 km47,7694Nghi Son - Dien Chau50 km48,6485Dien Chau - Bai Vot50 km413,5966Cam Lo - La Son102 km27,9007Nha Trang - Cam Lam29 km45,1318Cam Lam - Vinh Hao91 km415,0139Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet106 km419,64810Phan Thiet - Dau Giay98 km419,57111My Thuan 2 Bridge and the path to the two ends of the bridge7 km65,125
In the 2021–2025 period, an additional 729 km will be invested, with a total investment of VND 148,492 billion (of which the State budget is VND 131,217 billion and capital from private partners is VND 17,125 billion). NumberExpressway section nameLengthLanesPreliminary investment level (billion VND).1 Bai Vot - Ham Nghi36 km 4 7,5882Ham Nghi – Vung Ang54 km410.7073Vung Ang – Bung58 km411,7854Bung – Van Ninh51 km410,5265Van Ninh - Cam Lo68 km410,5916Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon88 km420,8987Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon69 km412,5448Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh62 km412,2989Chi Thanh - Van Phong51 km410,97810Van Phong - Nha Trang83 km413,32411Can Tho - Hau Giang37 km49,76812Hau Giang - Ca Mau72 km417,485
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