On December 19, 2025, the technical traffic opening ceremony for the Huu Nghi border gate - Chi Lang expressway project, developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, was held in Lang Son province. The event is part of a series of groundbreaking, traffic-opening, and inauguration ceremonies held to celebrate the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
This event marks a vital milestone in fulfilling the Prime Minister’s “command from the heart,” realizing the strategic objective of a seamless 3,000 km expressway network spanning from Cao Bang to Ca Mau.
Attending the ceremony were Mr. Le Hoai Trung - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Nguyen Canh Toan - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Ms. Doan Thu Ha - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province; Mr. Doan Thanh Son - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Son province. Along with leaders from central ministries and local departments, representatives of the investor consortium, project enterprises, contractors, and many residents.
Overcoming difficulties for an on-schedule opening
As the starting segment of the Eastern North-South Expressway axis, the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang expressway project spans nearly 60 km across 7 communes and wards in Lang Son province. With a total investment exceeding 11,000 billion VND, the project commenced on April 21, 2024, directly connecting to 3 international border gates: Huu Nghi, Coc Nam, and Tan Thanh.
The project’s implementation took place amidst numerous difficulties and challenges. Representing the investor consortium, Mr. Nguyen Minh Giang, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEOCA Group, stated: “Right from the early days of implementation, the project faced significant hurdles, in which the greatest difficulty was the capital mobilization problem. With the spirit of responsibility of an investor long committed to the nation's transport infrastructure, DEOCA Group determines that this is not just a transportation project but also expresses gratitude to the compatriots in the border areas of the Fatherland”.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Giang, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEOCA Group, delivered a speech at the ceremony.
The construction units have organized operations on a “three shifts, four teams” basis, working continuously through holidays and Tet. They have opened and reinforced service roads to ensure mobility during the rainy season and proactively advanced funds for site clearance to local authorities to expedite land availability. At the same time, the Group mobilized nearly double the initial requirements, deploying over 1,000 equipment and machinery, approximately 350 engineers, and more than 3,000 skilled workers to accelerate progress and compensate for earlier delays whenever conditions permitted.
On the local side, with strong political commitment, the province has been proactive and decisive in its leadership and direction, taking the bold step of restructuring its public investment portfolio, allocating 5,500 billion VND from the state budget to participate in the project according to the provisions of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investment laws.
“The province established a Project Steering Committee led by the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, mobilizing the entire political system into actions, focusing on compensation, support, and resettlement involving a massive workload: approximately 640 hectares of land, the relocation of 1,149 graves, more than 3,090 affected households, individuals and organizations,” shared Mr. Doan Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee.
Mr. Doan Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee, spoke at the event.
To date, the project has achieved the goal of a 50 km technical traffic opening. This includes 37 km of the main route on the Huu Nghi border gate - Chi Lang segment and 13 km of connecting routes to the Tan Thanh and Coc Nam border gates. Simultaneously, remaining items such as pavement structures, traffic safety systems, lighting, and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are being urgently implemented to ensure synchronized operation upon official commissioning.
The project has successfully opened 50 km of the route, including 37 km of the main line from Huu Nghi border gate to Chi Lang and 13 km connecting the Tan Thanh and Coc Nam border gates.
Striving for full route completion
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung emphasized that the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang Expressway is a key national transportation project invested through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This expressway is not only an achievement in transportation infrastructure development but, more importantly, a fundamental shift in development philosophy. It leverages transportation infrastructure to pave the way for economic growth, restructure development space, and enhance national competitiveness.
Minister Le Hoai Trung warmly commended the high sense of responsibility, effort, and determination shown by Lang Son Province, central ministries, investors, project enterprises, contractors, and the local community who have united and joined forces to implement the project under conditions with many difficulties and challenges.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung emphasized that the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang Expressway is a key national transportation project invested through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Representing the local government, Vice Chairman Doan Thanh Son highlighted that the traffic opening of the project is a significant milestone reflecting the high determination of both central and local authorities in organizing and executing large-scale projects with profound political and economic significance. This achievement serves as a tribute to the 14th National Party Congress and reaffirms a proactive and decisive spirit in direction, administration, and organization of implementation.
According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Giang, while the opening of traffic is a major landmark, there are still tasks that need to be completed. “In the immediate future, we are striving to complete the segment from Chi Lang to Lang Son City to serve the public during the 2026 Lunar New Year. Simultaneously, we will continue to finalize all remaining items to ensure the expressway operates safely, synchronously, and efficiently,” the Vice Chairman of DEOCA Group emphasized.
Deo Ca Group, alongside investors, contractors, and project enterprises, continues to maximize resources and maintain the spirit of urgency in construction, prioritizing quality, safety, and long-term project efficiency above all else. The collective goal is to complete and put the entire project into operation on schedule, meeting the trust placed in them by the Party, the State, and the people.
Upon full completion and synchronized operation, the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang Expressway will serve as a vital component of the national “backbone” infrastructure that synchronously connects with the sea, rail, waterway, and road transportation systems. It forms part of the Nanning - Lang Son - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor, contributing to one of the three strategic breakthroughs: developing infrastructure to create new endogenous motivation for national development during the 2026-2030 period.
Delegates performing the ceremony.
This project is also a crucial factor in promoting Lang Son’s role as Vietnam’s international trade gateway to China and Northeast Asia. It strengthens regional linkages and deep international integration, opening new development opportunities in fields such as import-export, services, logistics, tourism, and cross-border economic cooperation. Furthermore, it creates favorable conditions for the future development of free trade zones.
In the vibrant atmosphere of the 79th anniversary of National Resistance Day (December 19, 1946 – December 19, 2025) and welcoming the 14th National Party Congress, the technical traffic opening of the Huu Nghi border gate - Chi Lang Expressway stands as an affirmation by local authorities, investors, project enterprises, and contractors of their determination to complete this key expressway route in 2026.
News: Hoang Sang – Photos: Nguyen Quy
