As of July 2025, Vietnam has completed and opened 2,268km of expressways to traffic. The Ministry of Construction now targets adding nearly 890km more this year across 17 new or extended expressway projects under its supervision, aiming to bring the total expressway length nationwide to 3,000km by the end of 2025.

Over 200km of new expressways to launch by August 19

One of the highlights is the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon Expressway project, spanning 88km across Quang Ngai and Gia Lai provinces with an investment of over VND20.4 trillion (approx. USD805 million).

The project includes three mountain tunnels, 77 bridges, 586 culverts, and 81 underpasses. The most challenging segment, Tunnel No. 3, has been fully excavated eight months ahead of schedule, paving the way for full route completion by the end of the year.

Contractor Deo Ca Group mobilized over 3,000 workers and 1,150 machines across 50 construction sites, employing a continuous shift system. The project has achieved 71% of its construction budget, and surfacing work is on track for completion by September.

Song Ve, the largest bridge on this route at over 600 meters, is structurally complete and awaiting asphalt surfacing. Meanwhile, foundational and structural works across the expressway are progressing rapidly, with more than 60% completed.

According to Le Quyet Tien, Director of the Construction Economics and Investment Management Department, the ministry has also launched eight key projects this year, including railway upgrades, expansions of existing expressways, and new national highway sections.

By August 19, six component expressway projects are expected to deliver a combined 208km of new roads. The remaining segments are slated for completion by December 2025.

Progress and investment challenges

Among 14 major projects under the Ministry of Construction's oversight, ten have reached 72-95% completion, while the others are at 60-70%. Fifty-two other expressway projects nationwide are also progressing steadily, with obstacles around land clearance and funding mostly resolved.

The new Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project has entered the land clearance phase and is scheduled to begin construction on December 19, with full-scale works to start in early 2026.

Public investment disbursement in the sector reached nearly VND23.8 trillion (approx. USD939 million) by the end of June, representing over 27% of the allocated budget. This surpasses the average rate of other central ministries (25.3%).

Despite this progress, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh emphasized that the current disbursement rate is still below expectations, with roughly VND63 trillion (approx. USD2.49 billion) remaining. He urged project managers to expedite spending, averaging VND9 trillion (approx. USD356 million) per month for the remainder of the year, especially for projects timed with National Day on September 2 and year-end deadlines.

The ministry also plans to comprehensively revise the Construction Law starting in Q3, proposing reforms aligned with decentralization and the two-tier local government model. New circulars will be issued to improve national construction data systems, investment cost management, and infrastructure maintenance regulations.

PV