Good news if you are heading to Mu Cang Chai for this year's golden rice season: the road linking the IC14 junction on the Noi Bai – Lao Cai expressway with Nghia Lo is now essentially complete. About 99% of it has been paved, it is open to all vehicles, and it cuts roughly 25km of mountain pass driving compared with the older routes. The Mebayluon team recently drove the whole stretch – here is what you need to know before you set off.
🛣️ Current state of the route
The section from the IC14 junction (Mau A) through An Luong to Nghia Lo is now almost entirely paved, built to a two-lane standard with a wide, open carriageway. Contractors are still working day and night on the remaining items: drainage ditches on both sides, road signs, lane markings and the traffic safety system. The key point: although it has not been officially inaugurated, the road is already open to normal traffic for every type of vehicle – motorbikes, cars and coaches alike. The road is part of the Northern Mountainous Provinces Transport Connectivity Project, funded by an ADB loan and Australian government aid, with Project Management Unit 2 (Ministry of Construction) as the investor. The full route runs about 53km, starting at the IC14 junction and ending where it meets National Highway 32.
