The road traffic plan, with a vision extended to 2050, envisages that from 2021 to 2025, 31 new expressways with a total estimated investment of VND483.848 trillion ($20.967 billion) are placed on the anvil. These will include 14 component projects on the north-south road link.

These new expressways, built in all regions of the country, will connect with over 10 north-south expressway projects that are already being implemented, linking the Huu Nghi border gate of Lang Son Province in the north to the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

Among the 17 other expressways, five are planned in the north, three in the central and the Central Highlands regions and nine in areas around HCMC and the Mekong Delta.

Another 11 expressways are proposed for the 2026 - 2030 period.

Four of these will be in the north, three in the central and Central Highlands regions, and four in the south.

The total investment of the expressway projects planned for the 2026 - 2030 period is about VND340,620 billion ($14.760 billion).

According to the draft plan, the country will have about 5,000 km of expressways in operation by 2030.

The transport ministry has proposed to the National Assembly that the nation allocates 4-5 percent of GDP for investment in transport infrastructure for the 2021 - 2030 period.

Minister Nguyen Van The stressed at a weekend meeting that planning should focus on sustainability and the goal of connecting all provinces and cities.