Creating Belts and Roads
Forty years ago, Hải Phòng was a national leader in transport infrastructure with the “4 canals, 3 bridges, 5 gates” and land reclamation projects. Building on this legacy and central government support ahead of the 2025 Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake), several major national-level transport projects are now underway in the port city.
The centerpiece is the 417 km electrified standard-gauge (1,435 mm) railway from Lào Cai to Hải Phòng via Hà Nội. Starting at the connection with China’s rail network in Lào Cai, it ends at Lạch Huyện Port station in Cát Hải District. In future, it may connect directly to Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Estimated investment is around USD 11.6 billion, with passenger trains running at ~160 km/h and freight at ~120 km/h. Within Hải Phòng, the line will cover 46.26 km with two branches—one from Nam Hải Phòng station to Nam Đồ Sơn Port, and another from Nam Đình Vũ to Đình Vũ Port—serving six stations.
Vietnam Airports Corporation starts construction of Cargo Terminal at Cat Bi International Airport in November 2024
Hải Phòng as a Logistics Hub
By end-2024, Hải Phòng had attracted 1,000 FDI projects totaling USD 32.2 billion, plus 228 domestic ones worth USD 13.7 billion, mainly in manufacturing and processing within Đình Vũ and Cát Hải industrial and economic zones. Nguyễn Đức Thọ, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee, noted that 30% of FDI is in high-tech electronics manufacturing and 20% in logistics.
Historically, goods in these zones were moved mainly via sea and roads, with little air cargo. To address this, the Cat Bi International Airport Cargo Terminal began construction in November 2024 by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and is slated to open in January 2026. In 2025, a new passenger terminal and apron at Cat Bi is also scheduled for construction.
Reaching for the Open Sea
Between 2015–2020, Hải Phòng built nearly 50 new bridges, and plans for over 100 more by 2025. Following its “live by the sea, prosper by the sea” ideal, the city opened the Tân Vũ–Lạch Huyện sea-crossing bridge in 2017—the longest of its kind in Vietnam at 5.44 km. With an investment of nearly VND 12 trillion, it cemented Hải Phòng’s role as the North’s logistics gateway.
However, rapid double-digit GRDP growth for a decade has led to overcapacity on this bridge. To address this, the city is now planning a parallel Tân Vũ–Lạch Huyện 2 bridge to the left of the existing one. It will mirror the current 5.44 km length, include a 16 m-wide deck, and extend 9.86 km of approach roads, expanding to six motorized lanes and four mixed-use lanes. With a total cost of over VND 8,710 billion (including interest), funding includes VND 6,455 billion via a Korean EDCF loan and VND 2,255 billion in local budget co-funding.
At the city’s 18th council meeting in December 2024, Chairman Nguyễn Văn Tùng confirmed that the Department of Transport had finalized the plan. He added that it is expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval in Q1 2025.