Transport Ministry proposes three options to build north-south highway

According to the proposal, the highway would be 1,372 kilometres long, beginning at the Cao Bo intersection in the northern province of Nam Dinh and ending at the Dau Giay intersection in the southern province of Dong Nai.

The project will need investment estimated at VND314 trillion (US$13.82 billion), of which VND148 trillion (US$6.53 billion) will be sourced from investors.

Under Resolution No. 26/2016 of the National Assembly on mid-term public investment plan from 2016 – 2020, and the Government’s plan on allocating funds for public projects in the period, the ministry plans to allocate around VND41.4 trillion to the north-south highway project, according to the document. 

The Transport Ministry devised the three options on such basis. 

In the first option, the project will build three sections with a combined length of 467 kilometres of the highway under the form of Build and Transfer (BT), with VND41 trillion (US$1.82 billion) to be sourced from the State budget. 

With the second option, 916 kilometres of the highway will be built, also in the BT form, with the Government providing VND63 trillion (US$2.77 billion).

For the third option, the state budget will provide VND70 trillion (US$3.08 billion), and 1,015 kilometres will be built.

In order to meet transport demand and balance State funding for the Transport Ministry’s key transport infrastructure projects, the ministry prefers option one, the document said.