Minister Tran Hong Minh urges defining expressway solutions at planning stage

Speaking at a conference on June 19 reviewing the implementation of expressway projects under the 3,000km programme for the 2021–2025 period, Minister Tran Hong Minh commended the constructive feedback from agencies, businesses and industry associations.

Minister Tran Hong Minh speaks at the June 19 conference reviewing the implementation of expressway projects under the 3,000km programme for 2021–2025.

He said large-scale expressways and bridges built in recent years were the result of decades of research and the growing capacity of Vietnamese project management units, consultants and contractors in design and construction.

The Minister assigned the Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Building Materials to review technical regulations and standards, abolish outdated provisions, and update new technologies to ensure standards better reflect practical conditions and regional characteristics.

He instructed consultants and project management units to complete the review and submit reports by the end of June 2026.

The Planning and Finance Department was tasked with updating the national road network plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050. Project owners and consultants were also asked to study appropriate phased investment plans for expressway projects.

Minister Tran Hong Minh stressed that structural solutions such as viaducts and tunnels must be prioritised from the investment policy stage for sections with weak ground conditions, deep excavations and high embankments.

For each project, different options should be compared based on technical and economic efficiency across the entire project lifecycle to determine preliminary investment costs.

To ensure project quality and schedules, he instructed project owners to strengthen organisational capacity, expand the use of information technology in project management, and proactively coordinate with local authorities to resolve land clearance and construction material issues.

He also encouraged the application of new technologies and materials in project design.

The Minister called on supervision consultants to enhance their independence, objectivity and professional responsibility, strengthen quality control of construction materials and workmanship, and promptly detect and address problems at an early stage.

He stressed that construction quality must never be compromised in pursuit of project deadlines.