PM attends inauguration ceremonies of four important transport projects

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks from Dien Bien Airport on December 24 (Photo: VNA)

Dien Bien (VNA) – Four important transport projectsnationwide were inaugurated in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh onDecember 24.

The inauguration ceremonies for Dien Bien Airport, Tuyen Quang -Phu Tho and My Thuan - Can Tho expressways, and My Thuan 2 Bridge were held viavideoconference in the provinces accommodating the projects, namely the northwesternprovince of Dien Bien, the northern province of Phu Tho, and the Mekong Deltaprovinces of Vinh Long and Tien Giang.

A view of Tuyen Quang - Phu Tho Expressway (Photo: VNA)

The project on building and expanding Dien Bien Airport in DienBien province started on January 22, 2022, and had total investment of nearly1.47 trillion VND (60.6 million USD). The airport is capable of handling A320s/A321sand similar planes, and 500,000 passengers per year. It is serving the Hanoi - DienBien and Ho Chi Minh City - Dien Bien air routes at present.

Tuyen Quang - Phu Tho Expressway, connected with Noi Bai - Lao CaiExpressway, is 40.2km long in total, comprising 11.63km traversing the northernprovince of Tuyen Quang and 28.57km through Phu Tho. The four-lane road with a designspeed of 120km per hour, invested with a total of 3.75 trillion VND, had itsconstruction started in early 2021.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and other officials cut the ribbon to open My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway in Vinh Long province. (Photo: VNA) 

Meanwhile, My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway, part of the easternNorth - South Expressway project, is almost 23km long and has investment totallingover 4.8 trillion VND. Work started on this expressway in January 2021. It beginsat the intersection of My Thuan 2 Bridge and Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway.Its end is temporarily connected with National Highway 1 but will be linkedwith Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway in the future. In the first phase, this roadhas four lanes and a design speed of 80km per hour.

The6.61km My Thuan 2 Bridge, which spans the Tien River and links Tien Giang withVinh Long, is the first cable-stayed one completely designed and built byVietnamese engineers and workers. It has total investment of 5 trillion VND andhad work started in February 2020. This bridge not only connects Trung Luong -My Thuan and My Thuan - Can Tho expressways but also shortens the distancebetween HCM City and Can Tho city.

Speakingfrom the ceremony in Dien Bien Phu city of Dien Bien province, PM Chinh highlightedthe importance of transport infrastructure to socio-economic development.

A view of My Thuan 2 Bridge (Photo: VNA)

He said that only 1,163km of expressways were put into use during2000 - 2021 while the resolution of the 13th National Party Congresstargets about 5,000km to be built by 2030. That means the length of expresswaysthat must be built during 2021 - 2030 is almost four-fold thatconstructed over the last 20 years.

Tothat end, he noted, the Party and State have provided great resources, enableddifferent forms of investment, and issued appropriate policies to mobilise theprivate engagement in transport infrastructure development.

The inauguration of the four projects is a step to carry outthe policy of delegating power to localities and mobilising investment from non-statebudget sources for infrastructure development, the PM said.

The Government leader attributed that result to the leadership bythe Party Central Committee; support from the National Assembly, local People’sCouncils, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, social-economic organisations, and residentsin the areas housing the projects; as well as efforts by ministries, sectors,investors, project management boards, designers, contractors, workers, andlocal residents.

Heasked relevant sides to operate the facilities in an effective manner, continueperfecting and connecting those facilities with related structures, and ensure thepeople displaced to serve the projects have better or at least similar lifequality compared to their previous living places./.

VNA