Classification of roads according to the Road Traffic Law 2024 from January 01, 2025 in Vietnam

1. What are regulations on classification of roads according to the Road Traffic Law 2024 in Vietnam?​

Pursuant to Article 8 and Article 9 of the Road Law 2024, the classification of roads is divided based on the level of management and functional service. To be specific:

* Classification of roads based on the level of management

(1) Roads based on the level of management include: national highways, provincial roads, district roads, communal roads, village roads, urban roads, specialized roads, and are determined as follows:

- National highways: roads connecting the capital Hanoi with provincial administrative centers; roads connecting provincial administrative centers; roads holding significant importance for economic-social development and ensuring regional, area defense, and security.

- Provincial roads: roads within a province connecting the provincial administrative center with district administrative centers; roads holding significant importance for the economic-social development of the province.

- District roads: roads connecting the district administrative center with commune administrative centers, commune clusters, or neighboring district administrative centers; roads holding significant importance for the economic-social development of the district.

- Communal roads: roads connecting the communal administrative center with hamlets, villages, settlements (hereinafter referred to as villages) and rural residential areas, or roads connecting with neighboring communes; roads holding significant importance for the economic-social development of the commune.

- Village roads: roads within the village area, main roads connecting the village with agricultural, forestry production areas, and other production, business units in the village area.

- Urban roads: roads within the administrative boundaries of inner city, inner urban areas, including: urban expressways, streets, alleys, lanes, paths in urban areas.

- Specialized roads: roads specifically serving the transportation needs of one or several agencies, organizations, individuals, and internal roads.

(2) Local roads include: provincial roads, urban roads, district roads, communal roads, village roads.

(3) The Ministry of Transport is responsible for managing national highways, except national highways stipulated at point a clause 4 Article 8 of the Road Law 2024 and side roads, laterals stipulated at point c clause 4 Article 8 of the Road Law 2024.

(4) Provincial People's Committees are responsible for managing the following types of roads:

- Managing provincial roads, national highways passing through special-grade urban areas; national highways when decentralized; sections or phases of national highways completed with bypass construction suitable with road network planning; sections or phases of national highways no longer within the road network planning, except in cases where national highways have special requirements for ensuring defense and security; sections or phases of national highways assigned by the Prime Minister based on the proposal of provincial People's Committees to meet economic-social development needs, ensuring national interests, defense, security, and local resource allocation capabilities; sections or phases of national highways transferred to provincial People's Committees for management according to the law on public asset management and use.

- Regulating the management of urban roads, district roads, communal roads, village roads.

- Managing side roads, laterals detached from national highways.

(5) The manager or user of road infrastructure for specialized roads is responsible for managing such roads according to the stipulations of this Law and other relevant legal regulations.

* Classification of roads based on functional service

(1) Main roads: roads serving primary traffic functions within an area, connecting traffic between regions and zones.

(2) Branch roads: roads entering main roads, functioning to connect traffic between the areas on both sides of main roads; connecting traffic from side roads to main roads through intersections.

(3) Collector roads: roads designed to collect the internal traffic systems of urban, industrial, economic, residential, commercial-service zones, and other roads into the main road or branch road before joining the main road. Collector roads may serve as side roads, as stated in section (4).

(4) Side roads: roads constructed adjacent to sections of main roads to segregate traffic areas on both sides of the main road. Side roads are separated from the main road either by median strips, protective walls, or barriers.

(5) Public roads: roads serving all individuals and means of road transportation according to the stipulations of this Law and other relevant legal regulations.

(6) Internal roads: roads within residential complexes, urban, industrial, economic, commercial-service zones, agencies, organizations, other units, and only serving those permitted to enter and exit within the designated areas in this section.

(7) Roads dedicated to pedestrians, cyclists, and other specific roads.

2. What are regulations on technical levels of roads according to the Road Traffic Law 2024 in Vietnam?

According to Article 10 of the Road Law 2024, the technical level of roads must be determined in the road construction investment project. The design and construction of roads must conform to the technical level of roads in the approved road construction investment project; and comply with the relevant regulations, technical standards for the road technical level.

The technical levels of roads are stipulated in the road design standards, including:

- Expressways;

- Class I, II, III, IV, V, VI roads;

- Urban roads;

- Class A, B, C, D roads, other roads.

The technical levels of roads specified in points a, b, and d clause 2 Article 10 of the Road Law 2024 are implemented according to national technical regulations issued by the Minister of Transport and technical standards published by the competent authority.

The technical levels of roads specified at point c clause 2 Article 10 Road Law 2024 are implemented according to national technical regulations issued by the Minister of Construction and technical standards published by the competent authority.

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