Hanoi’s Cổ Linh Underpass Aims to Open to Traffic Before April 30, 2027

Construction of the main sections of the Cổ Linh intersection underpass in Hanoi is accelerating, with a technical opening targeted before April 30, 2027. The project began on October 4, 2025, with an investment of more than VND 747.5 billion. The underpass is about 600 meters long and planned to have six lanes. Once completed, it is expected to improve traffic at the intersection and strengthen connections between roads in eastern Hanoi.

Illustration of the three-level road layout at the Cổ Linh intersection after completion.（VietVance）

A November 13 progress report from Hanoi’s traffic infrastructure construction investment project management board said contractors had largely completed restoration of about 600 meters of box culvert, road widening, and relocation of related underground and above-ground infrastructure. More than 70 technical staff, workers and equipment operators are now on site, with over 20 pieces of construction equipment working across four areas.

Contractors work at the Cổ Linh intersection underpass construction site.（VietVance）

Progress varies across the main sections. Five segments of the open section have been completed on one side and two on the other, while the entrance retaining walls on both sides are about half complete. In the enclosed section, 50 ground reinforcement piles have been completed, about 3% of the planned total. Ground reinforcement work at the pumping station is about 90% complete and is expected to finish in November 2026, after which foundation pit excavation will begin.

The project’s contracted construction period runs from October 2025 to December 2027. During a site inspection in late June 2026, Trần Đức Thắng, a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Politburo and secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, called for the schedule to be shortened, with completion targeted before April 30, 2027. The project management board said current construction progress does not meet that requirement and has asked contractors to add workers and equipment and draw up a detailed plan to make up lost time.

The Cổ Linh intersection underpass construction site. The project aims for a technical opening before April 30, 2027.（VietVance）

Construction faces heavy traffic at the intersection, limited space and standing water after rain. The pumping station and enclosed section lie beneath the overpass, where the foundation pit is more than 20 meters deep and working space is limited. Construction barriers are expected to remain in place until April 30, 2027. The project report said congestion has appeared on some nearby roads during peak hours over the past three months.

Source: VietVance