Classification of roads in Vietnam under the Law on Road 2024

Classification of roads in Vietnam under the Law on Road 2024 (Image from the Internet)

On June 27, 2024, Hanoi passed the Law on Road 2024, which includes provisions on the classification of roads.

Classification of roads by management level in Vietnam

Specifically, roads by management level include: national roads, provincial roads, district roads, commune roads, village roads, urban roads, specialized roads and are identified as follows:

- National roads are roads connecting the capital Hanoi with provincial administrative centers; roads connecting provincial administrative centers; roads of significant importance to the economic and social development, ensuring national defense, and securing the region or area;

- Provincial roads are roads within a province connecting the administrative center of the province with the administrative center of the district; roads of significant importance to the economic and social development of the province;

- District roads are roads connecting the administrative center of the district with the administrative center of the commune, cluster of communes, or adjacent district administrative centers; roads of significant importance to the economic and social development of the district;

- Commune roads are roads connecting the administrative center of the commune with hamlets, villages, neighborhoods, hamlets, settlements, and rural residential areas or connecting with adjacent communes; roads of significant importance to the economic and social development of the commune;

Village roads are roads within the village area, main roads connecting the village with agricultural, forestry production areas, and other production, business establishments in the village area;

- Urban roads are roads within the administrative boundaries of inner cities, including: urban highways, streets, alleys, lanes in the city;

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

Local roads include: provincial roads, urban roads, district roads, commune roads, village roads.

(Clauses 1, 2 Article 8 Law on Road 2024)

Classification of roads by functions in Vietnam

Article 9 Law on Road 2024 provides for the classification of roads by functionality as follows:

(i) Main roads are roads serving the main traffic in the area, connecting the traffic of areas, regions.

(ii) Branch roads are roads connecting to the main road, functioning to connect the traffic of areas on both sides of the main road; connecting traffic from the service roads to the main road through intersections.

(iii) Service roads are roads to collect the internal traffic system of urban, industrial, economic, residential, commercial-service areas, and other roads into the main road or branch road before connecting to the main road. Service roads can be side roads as prescribed in (iv).

(iv) Side roads are roads constructed alongside sections of the main road to separate the traffic of areas on both sides of the road from the main road. Side roads are separated from the main road or separated by a divider, protective wall, barriers.

(v) Roads for public traffic are roads serving all people and means of road transport as prescribed by this Law and other related laws.

(vi) Internal roads are roads within the scope of residential areas, urban areas, industrial, economic, commercial-service areas, and other agencies, organizations, units, only serving permitted subjects within the specified areas.

(vii) Roads exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists, and other roads.

More details can be found in the Law on Road 2024, which will take effect in Vietnam from January 1, 2025, except for the provisions at points a and b, clause 2, Article 42, Article 43, Article 50, clause 1 Article 84 Law on Road 2024, which will take effect from October 1, 2024.

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