Six berths at Lach Huyen port to soon have access roads

Lack of access roads

The inauguration of Berths No. 3 and No. 4 at Lach Huyen port, Hai Phong city in May marks an important milestone in the city’s strategy to “reach out to the open sea.”

Earlier, Berths No. 5 and No. 6, invested in by Hateco Group, welcomed their first commercial vessels in February. These berths boast the longest wharf length at Hai Phong port, up to 900 m, capable of accommodating two of the world’s largest container vessels at the same time.

According to the Hai Phong Maritime Administration, the six berths at Lach Huyen port are operating at full capacity, handling over 4 million TEUs of cargo. To meet cargo clearance needs, the supporting infrastructure, especially post-berth transport connections, must be developed in a synchronized manner.

Although the berths have gone into operation and cargo throughput is rising rapidly, post-berth access roads have not yet been built. In just the first seven months of 2025, cargo throughput at Lach Huyen reached 1.2 million TEUs and is expected to hit 2.2 million TEUs by year’s end. With more ships calling and more cargo moving, the absence of official access roads has forced berth operators to rely on narrow temporary service roads, which are at risk of severe congestion.

Road construction to start in August

After a lengthy period of changes in investor arrangements, the project to build access roads for Berths No. 3 to No. 6 at Lach Huyen has been transferred to the city People’s Committee. At the 14th session of the 16th city People’s Council in March 2024, the investment policy for the project was approved. Accordingly, the roads will be 1,832 m long in total, with a 37-m-wide cross-section, six traffic lanes, safety strips, a central divider, sidewalks, and earthen verges. The total investment is over 716 billion VND.

Given the urgent need to solve the lack of access roads, the city People’s Committee has instructed the project owner to accelerate the start and progress of construction.

Dao Sy Ngoc, Director of the city Transport and Agriculture Construction Investment Project Management Board (the project owner), said: “All procedures for groundbreaking have been completed. We are committed to starting the project in August.”

The project owner has required contractors to mobilize maximum manpower, equipment, and financial resources to shorten the construction schedule, aiming for completion by May or June 2026. They also hope the city will direct licensed material mines to prioritize sand supply for the project.

Looking ahead, from Berth No. 7 onward, the Ministry of Construction and relevant ministries will propose to the Prime Minister that project owners be responsible for building post-berth access roads, with the cost included in the total project investment. This approach aims to ensure transport infrastructure is developed in sync with the berths, thereby enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of Hai Phong port in the global logistics chain.

PHAM CUONG – LE DUNG