The group has submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Construction, covering the Mai Son-National Highway 45, Nghi Son-Dien Chau, Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay sections.
The first three currently operate with four limited-access lanes on a 17-metre-wide roadbed, while the Phan Thiet-Dau Giay section has four full-standard lanes and continuous emergency lanes. All were completed and opened to traffic in 2023.
Deo Ca's preliminary study found it feasible to widen the 156-km Mai Son-National Highway 45-Nghi Son-Dien Chau section and the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet-Dau Giay section to six lanes under a PPP model without state budget funding.
Deo Ca currently leads the consortium expanding the 96-km HCM City-Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway with private funding and was also an investor in the first-phase Cam Lam-Vinh Hao PPP project, now operational.
If authorised by the ministry to prepare the project proposal, Deo Ca said it would cover all necessary costs and resources and bear the financial risks if the proposal was not approved.
If the project receives approval, the group said it would work with other investors to meet investor-selection requirements and ensure the expansion is completed on schedule.
The proposal comes as the government seeks to accelerate the expansion of the eastern North-South Expressway, a key national transport artery.
Construction Minister Tran Hong Minh said many sections had initially been built with only four limited-access lanes and needed to be upgraded to improve safety and meet rising transport demand.
The government is considering prioritising the expansion of the eastern North-South Expressway at an estimated cost of VND 154 trillion. About VND 103 trillion would be required from the medium-term public investment plan.
If funding is constrained, priority would be given to widening the 534 km of sections built during the 2017-2020 phase, stretching from Mai Son to Bai Vot and Nha Trang to Dau Giay, at an estimated cost of VND 64 trillion.
The ministry plans to prioritise sections with the highest traffic demand, with work on sections from the 2017-2020 phase targeted to begin in 2027 and the remaining sections in 2028. The entire route is expected to be widened by 2030.
For three existing PPP sections, Dien Chau-Bai Vot, Nha Trang-Cam Lam and Cam Lam-Vinh Hao, the Vietnam Road Administration will work with BOT investors on expansion plans for inclusion in the pre-feasibility study.
For sections previously financed through public investment, the ministry will assess the feasibility of further state funding against PPP options. It will also consider toll collection after expansion to recover state investment.
