Vietnam Considers Pilot Program for Overtake Lanes on Major Expressways

Vietnam's Traffic Police (Cục CSGT), in coordination with the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (Cục Đường bộ Việt Nam), is researching scientific and modern traffic management solutions. As part of this effort, the pilot implementation of overtake lanes (làn vượt xe) on the Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway (QL5B) and the Cau Gie - Cao Bo Expressway is under consideration. This initiative aims to prevent traffic accidents on expressways and enhance the utilization efficiency of existing infrastructure. Specifically, it seeks to improve overall traffic speed and safety by making traffic flow smoother, allowing slower vehicles to use the overtake lanes. In recent years, Vietnam has seen a rapid increase in vehicle ownership due to economic growth, leading to rising risks of traffic congestion and accidents on major expressways. Highways connecting Hanoi with major cities play a crucial role in logistics and people's mobility, making the assurance of their safety and efficiency an urgent issue. In the past, restrictions were enforced on certain lanes (the innermost lanes) on expressways like Hanoi-Hai Phong and Phap Van-Cau Gie, prohibiting the entry of large vehicles, and crackdowns were conducted on trucks entering lanes close to the median strip. The current consideration for introducing overtake lanes appears to build upon these traffic management experiences, aiming for more advanced traffic flow control. If this pilot program is successful, it could raise the standards for traffic safety and efficiency across Vietnam's expressway network and indicate the future direction of infrastructure development and traffic policy.