Hanoi (VNA)ꦍ – Work has started on a key section of the Belt Road No. 4 – Hanoi Capital Region expressway, one of the largest infrastructure projects in northern Vietnam, with a total investment of more than 56 trillion VND (around 2.2 billion USD).

At a ceremony held on September 6 in Noi Bai commune, the Hanoi People’s Committee, the city’s Transport Project Management Board, and the Hanoi Belt Road 4 Expressway JSC jointly broke ground for Component 3 of the project. This section will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The expressway will stretch more than 113 km, including 103.8 km of the main route and 9.7 km of connecting roads toward the Noi Bai–Ha Long expressway. It is expected to be completed in 30 months. The project includes 13 elevated sections totaling 81 km, three major bridges across the Red River – Hong Ha, Me So, and Hoai Thuong – as well as eight interchanges and one fully completed junction. In its first phase, the road will have four lanes and a width of 17 metres. Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Vu Hong Thanh said the project is a national priority and a “game changer” for transport in northern Vietnam. The Belt Road No. 4 will link Hanoi directly with Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and other neighbouring provinces, while connecting with existing radial expressways to form a modern, synchronised transport network for the Red River Delta, he emphasised. Approved by the National Assembly in June 2022 and greenlit by the Government shortly after, the project is seen as a new driver of growth. Once operational, it will not only ease congestion on existing roads, particularly the overloaded Belt Road No. 3, but also open up space for new urban, industrial, and logistics zones along the corridor. Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh stressed the urgency of building Belt Road No. 4, calling it essential for boosting connectivity, ensuring national defence and security, and creating an economic development corridor. The project will help ease population pressure in the inner city, attract investment, and foster balanced development across the region, he noted. The Belt Road No. 4 project spans Hanoi, Hung Yen, and Bac Ninh provinces. So far, 98.5% of the required 1,382 hectares of land have been cleared, with full clearance targeted by the end of 2025. Construction of parallel roads, bridges, and drainage works is already underway, with overall progress reaching 52.6% of contract value. Hanoi leads with 70% completion, followed by Hung Yen at 45% and Bac Ninh at 34%. The parallel roads are expected to be largely completed in 2025 and fully finished by the first quarter of 2026. This is the first time Vietnam has applied the PPP model by dividing the project into smaller sub-projects, combining public investment with private capital. The groundbreaking comes as the country accelerates infrastructure development in line with the goals set out by the 13th National Party Congress. City leaders have called on contractors to mobilise maximum resources, equipment, and manpower to ensure safe, high-quality, and timely construction. Priority will be given to major bridges and interchanges, which are critical for connecting the entire route. With Belt Road No. 4 and the planned Belt Road No. 5 which is expected to link five northern provinces by 2030, Hanoi and its surrounding region are on track to develop a modern, interconnected transport system that will cut travel times, reduce logistics costs, and drive sustainable urban growth./.