Longest highway opens to public

The opening ceremony was held at Gia Phu commune, Bao Thang district, northern Lao Cai province, where the highway is marked at 237+000km.

“The Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway, the longest and most modern of its kind in Vietnam running through many provinces is of great significance to north-western localities and the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS),” he noted.

Dung expressed thanks for the Asia Development Bank (ADB) for providing US$14 billion in preferential loans for Vietnam over the past nearly 10 years to invest in 170 key infrastructure projects. ADB has committed an additional US$1.3 billion in the next four years focusing on infrastructure development.

VEC Director General Mai Tuan Anh said the 245km highway has made a breakthrough in the local transport industry, helping shorten travel time from Hanoi to Lao Cai from the tourism sector’s growth.

With a total investment of nearly VND20,000 billion, it is an important part of the Kunming-Haiphong Transport Corridor, providing leverage for Vietnam’s socio-economic development.