Hồ Chí Minh Highway Two-Lane Phase Nears Conclusion as National Assembly Weighs Transition to Expressway Investment

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: The National Assembly’s issuance of a resolution concluding the implementation of Resolution No. 38/2004/NQ-QH11 and Resolution No. 66/2013/QH13 will formally mark the completed establishment of a continuous two-lane route along the entire Hồ Chí Minh Highway and open the way to a new phase of investment, Vietnam’s Minister of Construction Trần Hồng Minh said on Friday.

The minister made the remarks during a plenary discussion at the National Assembly’s ongoing second session, which focused on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan, the state budget and public investment plans. Legislators also considered the final assessment of Resolution No. 66/2013/QH13 and the formal conclusion of construction investment for the two-lane Hồ Chí Minh Highway project.

During the debate, Deputy Lý Anh Thư of An Giang Province underlined that the Hồ Chí Minh Highway is an infrastructure project of profound historical and political significance, one that fulfils the long-held aspirations of communities living along its route.

Citing the Government’s report, she noted that the Chơn Thành – Đức Hòa section has reached 97 per cent completion and is expected to be finished by late 2026. The Rạch Sỏi – Bến Nhất and Gò Quao – Vĩnh Thuận sections are projected to complete approximately 42 of their 55 kilometres by the end of the year, with the remaining 13 kilometres scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027.

Thư stressed the importance of distinguishing between “technical traffic opening” and the full completion of infrastructure that meets the standards required for safe operation. She called on the Government to honour its commitment to finish the outstanding sections in the first quarter of 2027 and to reinforce deteriorated stretches so that the route can operate safely before April 30 next year. Should the entire route not be connected and its safety not be assured by that deadline, she said, the formal conclusion of the targets set out in the two resolutions should not yet be considered.

Responding to these concerns, Minister Minh explained that concluding the two-lane construction officially brings to a close the phased investment period stipulated in the two resolutions. The step formally recognises the connection of the entire Hồ Chí Minh Highway at a two-lane scale, stretching from Pác Bó in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bằng to Đất Mũi in the southernmost province of Cà Mau, and lays the groundwork for a new investment phase in line with long-term master planning.

The minister clarified, however, that concluding the two-lane investment phase does not mean the project as a whole is finished. Under the road network master plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, the Hồ Chí Minh Highway remains a vital national transport artery that will require further investment to be upgraded to expressway standard.

He added that a project is regarded as fully completed only once all construction, inspection, acceptance and operational commissioning tasks have been carried out, and its final accounts have been audited and approved by the competent authorities. On that basis, he maintained, the proposed resolution serves to formally acknowledge the achievement of the project’s fundamental objective, a continuous two-lane route along the full length of the highway, while facilitating the transition to the next phase of investment.

Providing an update on progress, Minh said that of the highway’s total length of 2,656.5 kilometres, 2,499 kilometres have been completed to date. Around 2,643 kilometres are scheduled for completion by the end of December 2026, with the final 13 kilometres of the Gò Quao – Vĩnh Thuận section due to be finished in the first quarter of next year.