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Update latest news from Vietnam
By Kieu Phong – Translated by Kim Khanh
Leaders in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Binh Phuoc on Thursday agreed on the construction of a VND36 trillion (US$1.5 billion) expressway linking the two localities.
The Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway will stretch 70 kilometers from Chon Thanh District in Binh Phuoc Province to Go Dua Intersection in Ho Chi Minh City.
The route will also run through Thu Dau Mot City in Binh Duong Province.
The investment capital is estimated at VND36 trillion ($1.5 billion), of which 47 percent is expected to be funded by the state budget.
The expressway will consist of three main sections.
The first section stretches 1.5 kilometers in Ho Chi Minh City, costing approximately VND3 trillion ($130 million).
The second section spans 57 kilometers in Binh Duong Province, including 28 kilometers of elevated roads and 10 overpasses, which will cost VND30 trillion ($1.29 billion).
The third section is about 11.5 kilometers in Binh Phuoc Province, costing VND3 trillion ($130 million). This section will be designed with six lanes to facilitate the connection with the Dak Nong – Chon Thanh Expressway.
During a working session in January, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assigned Binh Phuoc People’s Committee to coordinate with relevant units to work on capital arrangement and construction format of the project.
The premier also requested the Ministry of Planning and Investment and related sides to map out a plan on channeling state budget into the implementation of the project.
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Binh Phuoc will also submit their proposals regarding the construction of the expressway.
Once approved, the expressway is expected to be built within the 2021-30 period under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) form.
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Based on the actual situation, the transport sector set the target up to 2030 concentrating on construction of inter-regional expressway projects connecting to sea ports, air-ports, striving to complete 5,000 kilometers of expressway in 2030 and more than 9,000 kilometers in 2050.
To speed up the progress, Minister Nguyen Van The said that there should be a breakthrough mechanism for expressway infrastructure development in the coming time, a breakthrough in the way of implementing, selecting a portfolio, and submitting to the Government for approval of the whole site clearance to form the entire investment project of 5,000 kilometers of the expressway.
By Minh Anh – Translated by Huyen Huong
According to the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau, 13 localities where 11 sections of the expressway are now being built have handed over 630 kilometers out of the 652 km required.
The expressway will run a total of 1,799 kilometers between Hanoi and the southern city of Can Tho parallel to National Highway 1A. Over 300 km of it have been completed.
The delay in acquiring land is due to tardy construction of resettlement areas and relocation of infrastructure like power and telecommunications lines and water pipes.
Of 111 resettlement areas that need to be built, 91 are completed, 19 are under construction and one is still awaiting approval.
The total land costs are estimated at VND12.4 trillion ($526.3 million) and 3,690 households have to be moved out of 4,835 hectares of land.
Once completed, the expressway is expected to reduce pressure on the overloaded National Highway 1A.
A truck has been caught on CCTV traveling in reverse along an expressway linking Hanoi and the northern city of Hai Phong.
The traffic police division under the Ministry of Public Security confirmed on Thursday it had received that CCTV footage from the management of Hanoi – Hai Phong Expressway.
In the video clip, the truck was running in reverse to reach the intersection between the expressway and National Highway No. 10 at around 10:00 am the same day.
The action posed high risks of accidents as other vehicles were traveling at very high speed on the expressway, while it was also foggy at the time, said the traffic police division.
Officers have contacted the owner of the truck and identified the driver.
The truck driver said it was his first time traveling along the route.
According to current regulations, backing a vehicle on an expressway is punishable by a fine worth VND16-18 million (US$692-778) and five- to seven-month revocation of the driver’s license.
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In connecting the delta’s economic center with the southernmost tip of the country, the expressway will pass through provinces of Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu, boosting connectivity in Vietnam’s agriculture hub.
During the first phase of the project that is estimated to cost VND37.6 trillion ($1.63 billion), the expressway will be designed with two lanes that allow vehicles to travel at 80 kilometers per hour. In the second phase that would cost VND64 trillion, it would be upgraded into four lanes, allowing speeds of up to 100 km an hour.
Construction is set to be completed in 2025.
The first section, between Can Tho City and Bac Lieu Province, will be built using public funds, while the second, from Bac Lieu to the southernmost province of Ca Mau, will be built under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
The expressway is among several planned or being constructed in the Mekong Delta, home to Can Tho City and 12 provinces with over 17 million residents. The region is one of Vietnam’s most important economic zones, contributing 17.7 percent of the entire nation’s GDP.
In 2019, the region contributed 54 percent of rice, 70 percent of seafood and 60 percent of fruit output for the whole country.
Lawmakers and officials have been saying for years that the lack of infrastructural connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and numerous Mekong Delta provinces was proving to be a development bottleneck for the region.