Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged upgrading expresswaysthat have been put into use and are being invested according to phases in theface of certain shortcomings, including risks of accidents.

Hesent an official dispatch on this issue on February 21 to leaders of the Ministries of Public Security, Transport, Planning and Investment, Finance, Science and Technology, Natural Resources and Environment, and Agriculture and Rural Development; the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises;and the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities.

Thedispatch noted that the 13th National Party Congress identifiedinfrastructure development as one of the three strategic breakthroughs thatmust be made to create new space and momentum for socio-economic development, nationaldefence, and security safeguarding. The congress also set the target of building about5,000km of expressways by 2030.

Overthe past years, central agencies and localities have worked hard to carry outexpressway projects. Nearly 1,900km of expressways have been put into use sofar, and efforts are being exerted to raise the total length to more than3,000km by 2025.

Expressway development requires a large sum of capital while existing resourcesremain modest. Given this, to meet socio-economic development requirements of localities andregions, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and some localities have proposedinvesting in some roads according to phases. The early inauguration of thosefacilities has helped boost socio-economic development.

However,there remain certain shortcomings in the operations of such expressways,including latent risks of traffic congestion and accidents as seen in the multiple collisions leavingthree people dead on Cam Lo - La Son Expressway on February 18, the dispatch pointedout.

Giventhis, the PM demanded the Minister of Transport order relevant agencies toimmediately devise measures to ensure rational, scientific, and efficienttraffic flow and controlling traffic activities in the best possible manner toguarantee safety on the expressways invested according to phases.

Hetold the MoT to coordinate with related localities to quickly work out upgradeplans so that those roads fully meet expressway standards. In particular, investmentin the two-lane ones must be made as soon as possible.

TheGovernment leader also requested equipping expressways with sufficient relatedfacilities like smart transport systems and rest areas.

In addition, the MoT was asked to quickly work with the Ministry of Science andTechnology to issue national technical standards for expressways in the firstquarter of 2024 to serve as the basis for planning, designing, managing,building, and safely and efficiently operating those roads.

It was also asked to check and take over the expressways invested according tophases so that the facilities could be upgraded soon to fully meet expresswaystandards.

In the dispatch, the PM also assigned tasks to other relevant ministries,sectors, localities, and agencies./.