Adjustments to eastern section of North-South Expressway discussed

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting of the Cabinet on July 8 to discuss the implementation of the National Assembly (NA)’s resolution on adjustments to the plan for investment in the construction of three sections of the North-South Expressway in the 2017-2020 period.

Under NA Resolution No 117/2020/QH14 issued on June 19, 2020, the legislature decided on the public-private partnership (PPP) investment form for three component projects of the North-South Expressway: Mai Son - National Highway No 45, Vinh Hai - Phan Thiet, and Phan Thiet - Dau Day.

Attendees at the meeting agreed on the principle of authorising the Minister of Transport to decide upon investment-related issues for the three projects.

PM Phuc asked the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with other ministries and sectors to promptly complete and gather opinions for a draft decision on the realisation of Resolution 117, so the document can be issued on July 9.

He underscored that the ministry should work harder so that the first bidding package of the three projects can be launched in late August.

According to a report from the Ministry of Transport, 81.3 percent of site clearance has been completed in the Mai Son-Highway 45 project, 95 percent in the Vinh Hai - Phan Thiet project, and 76.8 percent in the Phan Thiet - Dau Day project.

The eastern section of the North-South Expressway runs through 13 cities and provinces, starting from Nam Dinh in the north and ending in Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta. Total investment for the 654-km route is expected to top 118.7 trillion VND (5.1 billion USD).

The North-South Expressway is a key national project carried out under Resolution No 52/2017/QH14 dated November 22, 2017.

On the same day, meeting participants discussed issues relating to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Highway.