Currently, the expressway has six lanes.

Pham Van Khoi, director of BOT (build-operate-transfer) Phap Van-Cau Gie JSC, on Monday said the expressway’s maximum capacity should be reached in 2022 as designed, but increased traffic flow in recent years means the maximum threshold would be reached sooner.

In 2019, traffic on the expressway was 25 percent more than in 2017. Last year, due to the impacts of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the amount of traffic on it decreased by 4 percent. But this year, traffic is expected to increase by 20 percent compared to 2019, Khoi said.

Traffic flow on the expressway is originally projected to reach 92,000 passenger car units (PCU) per day in 2022 according to the Phap Van-Cau Gie firm, but the figure in reality already reached 84,240 PCU per day on average in 2019, and 144,265 PCU during the holidays. For this year, traffic flow is projected to reach 101,088 PCU per day, 9.6 percent more than its intended maximum capacity.

"Expansion of Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway to 8-10 lanes is urgent and would bring in revenues," he said, adding if the project is completed in 2025, traffic congestion could be resolved in the coming years.

In 2019, the expressway brought in VND751 billion ($32.4 million) in toll fee. In 2020, the figure was VND721 billion.

The expressway’s expansion under a BOT model would require approval by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. If approved, the project would commence with a total investment of around VND5 trillion.

Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway is a vital southern entrance route to Hanoi. The expressway, spanning 29 kilometers, cost VND6.731 trillion to construct. Traffic congestion is common on the expressway during peak hours and the weekends.