Plan to expand 2 expressways Cau Gie-Ninh Binh, Yen Bai-Lao Cai

The Ministry of Construction has just sent an official dispatch to the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) regarding the investment plan for two expressways managed by this unit, including Cau Gie-Ninh Binh and Yen Bai-Lao Cai, part of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway.

Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway.

Accordingly, in order to have a basis to report to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Construction requested VEC to review and report a number of contents related to the investment plan for the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway expansion project and the Yen Bai-Lao Cai section.

Recognizing that VEC's proposal to mobilize capital for the above two expansion projects will affect VEC's debt repayment capacity, the Ministry of Construction requested VEC to review and evaluate the ability to mobilize capital to invest in the above expressways, calculate the ability to repay the Government's ODA loans, the feasibility of the financial plan of the two projects in particular and the five projects currently managed and operated by VEC; and the suitability with the plan to increase charter capital for the period 2024-2026 approved by competent authorities.

"VEC needs to calculate the ability to repay the Government's ODA loans, the feasibility of the financial plan of the 2 projects in particular and the 5 projects that VEC is managing and operating; and the suitability with the plan to increase charter capital for the period 2024 - 2026 approved by competent authorities," the Ministry of Construction proposed.

Previously, VEC had sent a document requesting the Ministry of Finance to consider and submit to the Prime Minister to assign VEC as the competent authority to implement the project to expand the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway from 4 lanes to 6 lanes with a total cost of VND 2,113 billion, of which the State budget capital is VND 840 billion (about 40% of the total investment); VEC mobilized capital is VND 1,273 billion (about 60% of the total investment) including VEC's own capital of VND 270 billion, loan capital of VND 890 billion, and loan interest during the construction period (expected at 9%/year) of VND 113 billion.

Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway Toll Station.

According to the proposal, the project has a total length of about 50km. The starting point is at Km210+000 (the starting point of the expressway) in Hanoi, connecting to the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway. The end point is at Km260+030 on National Highway 10, the section connecting Nam Dinh - Ninh Binh.

In this project, VEC proposed to expand the highway surface from 4 lanes to 6 lanes on the roadbed, bridge, culvert, ... already built with a scale of 6 lanes with a total cost of 2,113 billion VND.

Of which, the State budget capital is 840 billion VND (about 40% of total investment); VEC mobilized capital is 1,273 billion VND (about 60% of total investment).

Regarding the Yen Bai-Lao Cai section expansion project of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway, the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) once proposed to the Prime Minister to allow the use of increased revenue in 2024 to invest in expanding this expressway section to a complete 4-lane scale, with a total investment of about 7,500 billion VND.

VEC is also required to develop an investment implementation plan for the above projects in case VEC is approved by competent authorities to propose VEC to contribute investment capital, including the project to expand the Yen Bai - Lao Cai section of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway to start construction in 2025.

To facilitate the organization of construction, handover, and toll collection after investing in the Yen Bai - Lao Cai expressway section, the specialized management ministry has proposed assigning VEC as the competent authority to implement according to Article 29 of the Public Investment Law No. 58/2024/QH15.

On March 12, 2025, the Government Office issued a document on investment in the Yen Bai - Lao Cai section expansion project of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway, in which Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested the Ministry of Construction to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to clarify the capital source for the project (including the capital that VEC can mobilize) to study the project investment plan.

If approved by competent authorities, VEC will prepare for investment in the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway Expansion Project in 2025; investment will be implemented from 2026 to 2028, and construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026.

Source: https://vov.vn/kinh-te/phuong-an-mo-rong-2-tuyen-cao-toc-cau-gie-ninh-binh-yen-bai-lao-cai-post1187314.vov