Attending the ground-breaking ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh; representatives from ministries and agencies; and leaders of Hoa Binh and Dien Bien provinces.

The event also saw the presence of Son La leaders, namely Hoang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; together with former provincial leaders and local people.

The Son La section has three component projects. The first one includes compensation, support, resettlement, and site clearance in Van Ho district, invested by the district People's Committee. It covers a length of 31.25 km, with total investment of 456 billion VND (17.5 million USD).

The second focuses on compensation, support, resettlement, and site clearance for 1.05 km in Moc Chau township, with a total investment of 63 billion VND financed by the district People’s Committee.

The third is a traffic construction investment project invested by the Son La Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Unit, with a length of 32.3 km, and total investment of 4.445 trillion VND.

The total length of the Son La section is 32.3 km. The starting point is at Km 53+00 in Chieng Yen commune, Van Ho district, connecting with the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway project in Hoa Binh province. The end point is at Km 85+262, intersecting with National Highway 43, in Van Son ward, Moc Chau township. It will be carried out from 2025 to 2028.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, emphasised that the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway is a strategic route connecting the Northwestern region with the Northern Delta and the Hanoi capital region. It is a vital traffic route that shortens the distance, reduces travel time, and opens up new development space for Son La province and the Northwestern region.

The project is a symbol of the strong aspiration of people in Son La in particular and the Northwest in general, marking an important milestone for a new development stage of proactive integration, economic development, and sustainable poverty reduction.

Deputy PM Chinh commended Son La, Hoa Binh and related units for their proactive and active preparations for investment, land clearance, and completing necessary procedures to start the project on schedule. He stressed that it is a vivid demonstration of the Party and State's determination to invest in infrastructure, especially in areas with many difficulties such as the Northwest.

The Deputy PM expressed his belief that the section in Son La province will be built, completed and put into operation on schedule and with quality, making an important contribution to the comprehensive development of Son La and neighbouring provinces, creating an important boost for regional connectivity, as well as new momentum for sustainable development of the region.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Hoang Quoc Khanh affirmed that the Party organisation, administration and people of all ethnic groups in Son La will enhance their responsibilities and create favourable conditions for contractors to carry out construction.

The province will continue to closely coordinate with ministries, sectors and contractors to ensure the project is implemented on schedule, with quality, safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness, he said.

Efforts will be made to call for investments, and prepare conditions to effectively take advantage of development opportunities brought about by the project, so as to develop the province in a green, fast, and sustainable manner, he added.

Recognising the efforts of the Son La Party organisation, authorities, and especially people in dissemination and mobilisation for site clearance, and acceleration of the project's progress, the Deputy Prime Minister and the provincial leaders gave gifts to individuals with outstanding achievements in project implementation in communes of Van Ho district and Van Son ward; and to contractors implementing the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway section in Son La province.

Deputy PM Chinh, together with leaders of ministries, sectors and Son La province then broke ground on the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway's section in Son La province.