New Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway set to open to traffic
The 80-km Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway, a section of the 176-km route that connects Halong Bay and Mong Cai was officially inaugurated on Thursday, September 1st.
This 80-km (50 miles) expressway connects the Van Don Economic Zone with Mong Cai city, successfully reducing the travel time from 2 hours to just 50 minutes. The four-lane roadway allows drivers to travel at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour.
The Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway, along with two previously established expressway segments—Bach Dang - Dai Yen (25 kilometers) and Halong - Van Don (71.2 kilometers)—creates a comprehensive 176-km route linking Halong Bay to the Chinese border at Mong Cai.
This 176-km expressway will integrate with the Hanoi - Halong Expressway (300 kilometers) and the Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway (264 kilometers), resulting in the longest roadway in Vietnam. Consequently, the time taken to travel from Hanoi to Mong Cai city has been reduced to 3 hours, down from 5.5 hours.
At the inauguration ceremony held on Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh noted that the operation of this new expressway would not only enhance connectivity for the northeastern region of Quang Ninh province but also promote tourism and economic development for Hanoi and the northern port city of Hai Phong.
The Van Don - Mong Cai project was divided into two segments: the Van Don - Tien Yen section (16.8 kilometers) and the Tien Yen - Mong Cai section (63.26 kilometers). There will be no toll fees for the Van Don - Tien Yen section, as it was funded through the state budget for its construction. However, the Tien Yen - Mong Cai section, developed under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, charges a fee ranging from VND 132,000 to VND 512,000 for a one-way trip. Additionally, the entire Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway will be toll-free for one month starting September 1st.
