According to a detailed plan newly approved by the Prime Minister, the road will start from Pac Bo in the northern province of Cao Bang and end at Dat Mui in the southernmost province of Ca Mau. 

The 28 localities where the road will go through are Hanoi, Cao Bang, Bac Can, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho and Hoa Binh in the North, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam in the Central, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong in the Central Highlands, and Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau in the South. 

Construction of the road is now in its second phase, which started in 2000 and will be completed in 2015 with a total investment of more than VND27.7 trillion. 

Around 445 km of highway will be constructed at a cost of over VND273 trillion during the third phase (2012-2020). 

Earlier, a two-lane section running from Hoa Lac in Hanoi to Tan Canh in Kom Tum was put into service in 2008 after the first phase of the project (2000-2007), which cost more than VND13.3 trillion.