The Expressway network of Vietnam is a recent addition to the transport network of Vietnam. The first expressways were opened in the mid-2000s, by 2020, the expressway network is expected to stretch and plans are for over of expressway by 2030.
Development
Expressways are a rather recent addition to the Vietnamese road network, and standardization has not been fully implemented. Ownership varies by expressway, they are financed, developed, owned and operated by either state-owned or private companies on behalf of the Ministry of Transport. For example, state-owned Vietnam Expressway Corporation owns and exploits four expressways, but toll collection is done by subcontracted companies. The companies exploiting the expressways have to report traffic numbers and toll revenue to the Ministry of Transport and the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam. This construction has been subject of fraud investigations several times, as toll revenue was falsified by the collecting companies in order to take advantage of the difference. The government has also threatened operating companies to revoke their toll collection licence after lack of maintenance caused dangerous situations on several expressways. In 2019 it was reported that the Vietnam Expressway Corporation was $3.7 billion USD in debt, and earning $137 million in revenue each year. The total cost of the planned expressway network is estimated at $47.9 billion. In 2020, Minister of Planning and InvestmentNguyễn Chí Dũng petitioned to the National Assembly to switch development of the remaining sections of the North–South expressway to state funding instead of build-operate-transfer contracts, in order to avoid delays in raising capital and to reduce interest amount. He noted that Chinese provincesYunnan and Guangxi built of expressways in three years, whereas of planned expressway in Vietnam should have been completed decades ago. If public funding would be approved, construction on the sections :vi:Vĩnh Hảo, Tuy Phong|Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiet, Mai Son - Highway 45 and Phan Thiết - Dau Giay would start in 2021.
Expressway use
Generally all cars, buses and trucks are permitted on the expressway but công nông and most notably all types motorcycles are not. A minimum speed of is generally in effect, and the maximum speed is, although sections with a lower maximum speed are common.
