At the sites, the Government leader called on the entire political system to act actively, with provincial Party secretaries and chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees directly leading land clearance efforts. He urged the mobilisation of village elders, village heads and religious dignitaries to encourage residents to hand over land for the projects.

He stressed that the process must safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of people in project areas and ensure stable livelihoods. Creative and fair application of mechanisms and policies is required. Provincial Party secretaries should serve as heads of land clearance steering committees to mobilise forces effectively and prevent site clearance from delaying construction.

PM Chinh said Lang Son has advantages in developing border-gate economic activities and that improved transport infrastructure is essential for such development. During construction, measures must be taken to prevent landslides, particularly on steep embankments.

He asked the Ministry of National Defence to direct military units stationed in the area to assist with basic tasks at construction sites, in line with the role of the army as a “combat force, working force and production force.” He also called for creating conditions for local enterprises to grow, gain access to technology and management practices, and participate in supply chains of major corporations.

Setting a target of completing the Huu Nghi-Chi Lang expressway by April 30 this year, the Government chief said wherever an expressway is built, new development space opens, improving land efficiency, attracting investment, helping raise incomes, boosting public confidence and opening broader development space for the country.

During site visits, he instructed officials and workers to ensure that construction quality next year is better than the previous year and that workers’ incomes also increase. He called for adjusting schedules to meet the new April 30 deadline marking the 51st anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification. Construction units were urged to ensure quality, progress, technical standards and labour safety, while working with urgency and mobilising maximum capacity to complete the projects.

The Huu Nghi-Chi Lang project is 60 kilometres long, passing through seven communes and wards in Lang Son province. Total investment exceeds VND11 trillion. Launched on April 21, 2024, the expressway directly connects three international border gates: Huu Nghi, Coc Nam and Tan Thanh.

The Dong Dang-Tra Linh project is 121 kilometres long and divided into two phases under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with total investment of VND25 trillion.

The project is being implemented under particularly harsh terrain and weather conditions. In 2025, prolonged heavy rains reduced actual construction time to around four months.

In 2026, the project aims to complete Phase 1 in full and expand Phase 2 (93 kilometres), bringing it into operation in December 2026, 12 months ahead of schedule.

Government leader call for greater efforts to finalize 5,000km of expressways by 2030

VOV.VN - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the State Steering Committee for key national transport projects, chaired the committee’s 23rd meeting at the Government Headquarters in Hanoi on January 30.