The engineering design is expected to be approved in September and construction contractors will be selected in October.
The 15-kilometre-long Cao Bo-Mai Son Expressway is part of the eastern North-South Expressway and runs from Yen Bang Commune in Nam Dinh Province to Mai Son Commune in Ninh Binh Province.
Once upgraded, the expressway will be more than 32 metres wide, allowing for a maximum speed of 100-120 kilometres per hour.
The total cost for the expansion is estimated at 1,875 billion VND (73.6 million USD), financed by the central budget.
The Cao Bo-Mai Son Expressway was put into service in 2022, with four restricted lanes across a width of 17 metres.
In August 2023, the Ninh Binh Department of Transport proposed expanding the expressway to six lanes as a means to deal with congestion, especially during the holidays.
