The Ministry of Construction has circulated this list to ministries, sectors, and localities for feedback, ahead of a conference promoting expressway development investment for the 2026-2030 period. The projects are divided into two priority groups to evaluate investment plans and prepare resources.

The first priority group comprises 15 projects, totaling approximately 2,083 km, with a preliminary capital exceeding 584,000 billion VND. This includes 10 new routes, spanning 978 km, estimated at over 386,000 billion VND.

The project with the largest capital is Ring Road 5 Hanoi Capital Region, spanning approximately 225 km and passing through Ha Noi, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, and Phu Tho. This route is proposed to have six lanes, with an estimated capital exceeding 126,600 billion VND.

A section of Ring Road 3 TP HCM passing through an urban area in the city's east is nearing completion and is also being studied for expansion. *Quynh Tran*

The remaining nine new routes, each with four lanes, cover approximately 753 km. These include: Duc Hoa - My An, Phu Tho - Co Tiet - Yen Bai, Ha Tien - Rach Gia, Cam Lo - Lao Bao, Pleiku - Buon Ma Thuot, Buon Ma Thuot - Gia Nghia, Nha Trang - Da Lat, Phan Thiet - Bao Loc, and Vinh Long - Can Tho. The preliminary total capital for these routes exceeds 259,000 billion VND.

Five projects involve expanding and upgrading existing expressways, spanning approximately 1,105 km, with a preliminary capital of 198,369 billion VND. The Mai Son - Cam Lo, Quang Ngai - Dau Giay, My Thuan - Can Tho, and Ring Road 3 TP HCM routes are slated for expansion from four to six or eight lanes. The Tuyen Quang - Phu Tho route will be upgraded from a limited four-lane configuration to a full four-lane standard.

The second priority group consists of 13 projects, covering approximately 880 km, with a preliminary capital of 300,750 billion VND. This includes nine new routes, each with four lanes, totaling about 714 km. These routes are: Ngoc Hoi - Pleiku, Vung Ang - Cha Lo, An Huu - Tra Vinh, Viet Tri - Hoa Binh, Thai Nguyen - Lang Son, Ha Tinh - Ho Chi Minh Road, Dinh Ba - Cao Lanh, TP HCM - Vinh Long, and Can Tho - Ca Mau. The total capital for this new construction group exceeds 265,000 billion VND.

The remaining four projects involve expanding the Chon Thanh - Duc Hoa, Noi Bai - Bac Ninh, Phu Ly - Nam Dinh, and An Huu - Cao Lanh routes, with a total length of approximately 166 km and a capital of 35,500 billion VND.

Under the national master plan, by 2050, the country will feature 43 expressway routes, spanning approximately 8,993 km; of these, 6,539 km are slated for investment before 2030. Currently, about 3,345 km of expressways are operational or have undergone technical opening, alongside 458 km of interchanges and access roads.

Many existing routes, developed in phases, currently feature only two or limited four lanes, lacking continuous emergency shoulders. The government has mandated a review to expedite the upgrade of these routes. According to new standards, newly constructed expressways must have at least four running lanes, a median strip, and continuous emergency shoulders.

Giang Anh - Doan Loan