National Highway 5 (NH5) is an important traffic axis in the Northern Key Economic Region, a vital traffic route for transporting goods from the Northern provinces to Hai Phong International Port. However, after more than 15 years of operation, with the rapid increase of industrial parks and residential clusters; Traffic density and volume have increased rapidly, so in recent years, this national highway has been overloaded, congestion often occurs, affecting traffic in the Northern key economic region as well as the investment environment.

The road section has been formed and put into use. Photo: Truong Minh.

Faced with the above situation, it is very urgent to build a highway in accordance with the Government's planning and strategy for Vietnam's traffic development until 2020 to relieve congestion on National Highway 5 and a number of neighboring national highways and provincial roads, satisfying the rapidly increasing transport demand and shortening travel time between Hai Phong city, Hanoi capital and other provinces.

The forces coordinated rescue exercises to resolve incidents on the highway before operating. Photo: Truong Minh.

According to Decision No. 1621/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated November 29, 2007 on a number of pilot investment mechanisms and policies for the Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway Project, Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Financial Investment Corporation (VIDIFI) has been assigned to be the investor of the Project and infrastructure projects synchronous with the expressway.

According to VIDIFI representatives, the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway project is an important traffic axis connecting Hanoi capital with Hai Phong city, connecting the Northern key economic region with the largest seaport cluster in the North, Hai Phong International Airport, Ha Long city (Quang Ninh)... as well as creating a driving force to promote the development of the regional transport network in accordance with Vietnam's traffic development strategy until 2020.

A modern ticket checkpoint was built on the route. Photo: Truong Minh.

Besides, this is also a project that has received great expectations from all levels, sectors as well as people living in the area. This is also because, when the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway route comes into use along with the Hanoi - Lao Cai, Hanoi - Thai Nguyen, Hanoi - Lang Son, Hai Phong - Ha Long expressway network, it forms the expressway network of the North; Ensuring traffic safety, shortening travel time between northern provinces: Hanoi to Hai Phong (Canh Dinh Vu) shortened from 2 hours to 53 minutes and Hanoi to Ha Long from 3.5 hours to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Up to now, after more than 7 years of organizing site clearance work, preparing for investment and implementing construction, with the efforts of the team of engineers and employees of VIDIFI Corporation and relevant units, the project invested by VIDIFI has initially achieved certain results. According to VIDIFI's assessment, during this time, VIDIFI coordinated with localities along the route to recover part of the agricultural land of 35,000 households and part of residential land of 2,600 households; build 39 resettlement areas and 49 cemeteries to move about 9,000 graves; 1 petroleum pipeline; Installing 9 high voltage power lines from 110kv to 500kv and hundreds of medium and low voltage power lines from 0.4kv to 35kv, etc.

And on May 27, VIDIFI will temporarily put into operation and collect toll the first expressway section with 22.7km section through Hai Phong city under the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway project. While the entire project has not been completed, the opening of this section will help regulate and reduce pressure on traffic flow for National Highway 5, National Highway 10 and the provincial road system; Gradually improve the capacity of management and operations staff to suit the characteristics of modern high-speed motorway routes, ensuring traffic safety and good management of invested assets.

In preparation for putting the Hai Phong area road section into convenient and safe operation, VIDIFI has coordinated with the Traffic Police Department - Ministry of Public Security, medical rescue and agencies and local authorities with the route passing through, unifying regulations on coordination in operating and controlling traffic during the exploitation process as well as organizing rescue operations to ensure safety for vehicles on the highway.

The route connecting Hanoi to Hai Phong is 105.5km long, passing through 4 provinces: Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong and Hai Phong. The project's starting point intersects with Ring Road III of Hanoi city. The project's end point is Dinh Vu port (Hai An district - Hai Phong). The project is built according to class A highway standards, with 6 lanes and 2 emergency stop lanes, road surface width is 33m, in the middle there is a median strip, on both sides there are green strips and a collector road system, the maximum design speed is 120km/h, the minimum speed is 60km/h. The route opened to traffic on May 27 is 22.7km long from the intersection with National Highway 10, route Km74+000 to the intersection with Pham Van Dong street (Hai Phong), route Km96+700 (and vice versa). The toll rate during the operation phase on this first route is 1,500 VND/km for standard vehicles. It is expected that the entire route will be completed and put into operation in December 2015

Source: Tran Huy (People's Police)