Highways must have a minimum of 4 lanes and a maximum speed of 120 km/h.

Vehicles traveling on the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway. (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+) — Vehicles traveling on the Noi Bai- Lao Cai expressway.

A series of regulations governing investment and construction of expressways have been adjusted by the Ministry of Transport through the issuance of Circular No. 06/2024 on the National Technical Standard QCVN 115:2024/BGTVT for expressways.

Accordingly, expressways must have a minimum of 4 lanes (2 lanes in each direction), with continuously spaced emergency stopping lanes (except for locations such as: bridges with spans of 150m or more; bridges with piers of 50m or more; tunnels; areas with acceleration and deceleration lanes; and auxiliary lanes for uphill climbing).

Regarding the design speed of expressways, the new regulations stipulate that the design speed of expressways is divided into three levels: 120 km/h; 100 km/h; and 80 km/h. For locations with particularly difficult terrain or where national defense and security factors are a concern, the Ministry of Transport allows the application of a design speed of 60 km/h.

The maximum permitted speed on expressways shall not exceed 120 km/h. The maximum permitted speed and the design speed shall not differ by more than 20 km/h; the maximum permitted speed of two consecutive sections shall not differ by more than 20 km/h.

Regarding the number of lanes, the new regulations require that the number of lanes be determined based on the design traffic volume, but not less than 2 lanes in each direction. The minimum lane width is 3.75m for roads with a speed limit of 120km/h or 100km/h, and a minimum of 3.5m for roads with a speed limit of 80km/h.

Emergency lanes must have a minimum width of 3m for roads with speed limits of 120km/h and 100km/h, and a minimum width of 2.5m for roads with speed limits of 80km/h.

Furthermore, highway regulations also stipulate that a median strip (including a central divider and safety strips on either side of the median strip) must be provided to separate the two directions of traffic in cases where the highway's cross-section is on the same roadbed. The minimum width of the safety strip is 0.75m for roads with a speed limit of 120km/h or 100km/h, and a minimum of 0.5m for roads with a speed limit of 80km/h. The median strip is designed to ensure safety.

In the case of two-way traffic lanes arranged on two separate roadbeds without a median strip, a safety strip and shoulder are provided on the left side in the direction of traffic. The safety strip must have a minimum width of 1m for roads with a speed limit of 120km/h or 100km/h, and a minimum width of 0.75m for roads with a speed limit of 80km/h.

Infrastructure associated with expressways includes: traffic management and control centers; rest stops; electronic toll collection systems for toll roads; vehicle weight inspection stations; and protective barriers.

According to the Ministry of Transport, this circular will take effect from October 1, 2024.

Regarding transitional provisions, Circular 06/2024 of the Ministry of Transport stipulates that highway construction investment projects for which investment policies were approved before the effective date of this circular shall continue to be implemented according to the regulations in effect at the time the investment policy was approved.

For expressways with a design speed of 80 km/h or less that were in operation before the effective date of this circular, when investing in upgrading or expanding them, it is permitted to apply the technical elements of the project that was approved before the effective date of this circular.

TB (according to Vietnam+)

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