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 projects nationwide were inaugurated in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 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 via videoconference in the provinces accommodating the projects, namely the northwestern province of Dien Bien, the northern province of Phu Tho, and the Mekong Delta provinces 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 Dien Bien province started on January 22, 2022, and had total investment of nearly 1.47 trillion VND (60.6 million USD). The airport is capable of handling A320s/A321s and similar planes, and 500,000 passengers per year. It is serving the Hanoi - Dien Bien and Ho Chi Minh City - Dien Bien air routes at present.

Tuyen Quang - Phu Tho Expressway, connected with Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway, is 40.2km long in total, comprising 11.63km traversing the northern province of Tuyen Quang and 28.57km through Phu Tho. The four-lane road with a design speed of 120km per hour, invested with a total of 3.75 trillion VND, had its construction 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 eastern North - South Expressway project, is almost 23km long and has investment totalling over 4.8 trillion VND. Work started on this expressway in January 2021. It begins at 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 linked with Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway in the future. In the first phase, this road has four lanes and a design speed of 80km per hour.

The 6.61km My Thuan 2 Bridge, which spans the Tien River and links Tien Giang with Vinh Long, is the first cable-stayed one completely designed and built by Vietnamese engineers and workers. It has total investment of 5 trillion VND and had work started in February 2020. This bridge not only connects Trung Luong - My Thuan and My Thuan - Can Tho expressways but also shortens the distance between HCM City and Can Tho city.

Speaking from the ceremony in Dien Bien Phu city of Dien Bien province, PM Chinh highlighted the 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 during 2000 - 2021 while the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress targets about 5,000km to be built by 2030. That means the length of expressways that must be built during 2021 - 2030 is almost four-fold that constructed over the last 20 years.

To that end, he noted, the Party and State have provided great resources, enabled different forms of investment, and issued appropriate policies to mobilise the private engagement in transport infrastructure development.

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

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

He asked relevant sides to operate the facilities in an effective manner, continue perfecting and connecting those facilities with related structures, and ensure the people displaced to serve the projects have better or at least similar life quality compared to their previous living places./.

VNA