From the start of the year, the Ministry of Transport has been pushing forward the progress of numerous key transport projects to ensure their timely completion as planned.

This year has been identified as the time for Vietnam to complete the goals of the 13th National Party Congress and the socio-economic development plan for 2021-2025, Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh affirmed that the transport sector is determined to fulfill its assigned tasks.

According to the new standards, highways must have a minimum of four lanes (two lanes in each direction) and a continuous emergency stop lane.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged relevant parties to make concerted efforts and resolve to complete 3,000km of highways by 2025.

The Government Office on August 19 issued a document announcing the conclusion by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the State steering committee for national key transport projects, at the 13th meeting of the committee.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 asked ministries, sectors and localities to build and issue their own plans to finalise major transport infrastructure projects in 2025, clarifying the responsibility of particular parties and timeline for particular projects, ensuring the completion of the construction of 3,000km of highways by the end of next year.

The Department of Roads of Vietnam (DRVN) has just proposed a project to the Ministry of Transport to upgrade and renovate national highways connecting Vietnam with northern Laos and China.

The Ministry of Transport has sent a document to the Ministries of Planning and Investment, and Finance proposing the upgrades to five national highways connecting with Laos.

The HCM City People’s Committee has issued a plan to implement the city's transport infrastructure upgrade project in the 2021-2030 period, which will require investment of 970.6 trillion VND (42.3 billion USD).

Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kari Kahiluoto said investors from Finland want to invest in highways, thermal-power, energy, and waste treatment projects in the southern province of Dong Nai at a working session with the local authorities on April 22.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh on September 9 chaired a meeting with ministries and agencies to discuss the implementation of the automatic toll collection systems on highways.

The urbanisation progress on Java, which is home to 60 percent of the Indonesian population, will be accelerated as highways will mushroom on the world’s most populous island in the couple of years, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

The 12th International Conference of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 18.

Overloaded vehicles are once again being spotted on roads and highways across the country, despite the Government crackdown.

A number of highways have been opened for public use recently, benefiting the country’s socio-economic development. But ensuring traffic safety along these roads is difficult due to drivers’ low level of awareness and slack infrastructure management, transport experts say.

Toll fares, so far, have been reduced at 23 Build- Operate -Transfer (BOT) toll stations nationwide, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said.

The Ministry of Transport is promoting the use of technology in an effort to better manage the country’s highways, a ministry official said.

The Prime Minister gave nod to a proposal to cut capital for and scale down a road project that connects Hanoi – Hai Phong and Cau Gie – Ninh Binh highways.