Last link in Vietnam’s North-South Expressway

Vietnam has started construction of the 60km-long Chi Lang-Huu Nghi section of the North-South Expressway and valued at just over US$468 million.

The Chi Lang-Huu Nghi section is the last part of the 2,060km-long expressway, which is at least four lanes and up to 10 in major urban areas. It  runs from the southernmost province of Ca Mau to the northern province of Lang Son, which borders China.

Work is being done under a build-operate-transfer contract. The stretch through Lang Son Province passes through Lang Son City and the districts of Chi Lang, Cao Loc and Van Lang – making it the largest transport project in the province, according to a report in the Hanoi Times newspaper.

The project is a public-private partnership, with 45% of the total investment coming from the Vietnam’s government and 55% from a joint venture led by infrastructure developer Ho Chi Minh City group Deoca.

At a ground-breaking ceremony, Vietnamese prime minister Pham Minh Chinh said the entire project is part of the government’s transport development strategy 2030. From north to south, it connects two economic zones, the Red River Delta and the northern mountainous region, linking four localities – Hanoi, Lang Son, Cao Bang and Quang Ninh.