Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai attended a ceremony in the northern province of Hung Yen on September 26 to open a 52-kilometre section of the expressway linking Hanoi and the northern port city of Hai Phong.

The newest addition brings the total operating length of the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway to 75 kilometres.

Addressing the ceremony, the Deputy PM said the expressway is an important transport axis between Hanoi and Hai Phong and Ha Long city in Quang Ninh, linking the northern key economic region with the largest northern sea port.

Together with other highways, the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway is designed to form a highway network that helps shorten the travel duration among localities, contributing to ensuring traffic safety and reducing transport costs, thus enhancing the competitiveness of the economy.

He asked the Ministry of Transport and other relevant ministries and localities to effectively operate the expressway by closely monitoring overloaded vehicles and controlling traffic safety.

He also urged investors and contractors to complete the remaining 30+ kilometres of the expressway.

Launched in 2008 under a build-operate-transfer agreement, the expressway has a total length of 105.5 kilometres with 6 lanes and an intended speed of 120 kilometres per hour.

Invested by the Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment JSC, the 33-metre-wide expressway has 54 bridges in total.

Source: VNA