Inter-regional traffic projects critical to connecting southeast Vietnam
Friday, November 27, 2020, 16:06 GMT+7
The southern Vietnamese province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has a robust internal traffic system, but still lacks the inter-regional and inter-provincial roads necessary to support local sustainable development.
Specifically, the province needs additional traffic infrastructure to boost its connectivity with localities in southeastern Vietnam and the key southern economic region as a whole, Nguyen Van Tho, chairman of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Committee, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
The province’s inter-regional and inter-provincial traffic systems need additional investment as the current situation falls short of the locality’s development potential, Tho added.
The province's Cai Mep-Thi Vai seaport complex serves as the international gateway of the entire region, the official continued, adding that the seaport’s throughput volume increases 10 to 15 percent each year.
Cai Mep-Thi Vai is considered one of the fastest-growing ports in the world and is one of approximately 20 ports that can receive container ships weighing up to 200,000 metric tons.
As Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province will be constructed in the near future, it is necessary to develop traffic infrastructure that connects Cai Mep-Thi Vai Seaport with the airdrome as well as other industrial parks in the region.
One of the most important projects needing to be implemented is the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway, which will link the province with the national expressway network and relieve traffic pressure on National Highway No. 51.
The pre-feasibility report of the project is currently being reviewed by the central government.
Another essential project is the Phuoc An Bridge, which will connect Cai Mep-Thi Vai Seaport with the Ben Luc-Long-Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Mekong Delta.
Proposals to build Ring Road No. 4 in Ho Chi Minh City and a Bien Hoa-Vung Tau railway route will also contribute to boosting connectivity in the area.
These projects will create a 'backbone' connection that plays an extremely important role in the development of the southern economic region.
The main goal of the projects is to create favorable conditions for regional trade, thereby boosting the entire country’s economy.
Support from the government will surely be needed to finance these major projects, according to Tho.
Regarding the Phuoc An Bridge, local authorities are striving to complete the construction within the 2021-25 period, he stated, adding that 50 percent of the cost will be covered by the national government, while the rest will be funded by the provincial budget.
The Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway will be carried out under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the state coffers to be spent on site clearance.
The Ministry of Transport is planning the construction of a 35-kilometer section of Ring Road No. 4, which is expected to cost VND19.5 trillion (US$841 million).
Project prioritization in Ho Chi Minh City
|
|
| Tran Quang Lam, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, speaks at a meeting. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are focusing on completing Ring Roads No. 2, 3, and 4, the Moc Bai-Ho Chi Minh City Expressway, and the expansion of national highways to improve traffic at its entrances, said Tran Quang Lam, director of the municipal Department of Transport.
The city is coordinating with other provinces in the region to expedite these projects and deal with existing problems, such as the lack of resources and sluggish construction progress.
Among the three ring roads, the city will prioritize Ring Road No. 2 during the 2021-25 period.
As Ring Roads No. 3 and 4 will cross through neighboring provinces, the city has asked the prime minister to consider them as important national projects.
A light railway project has also been taken into consideration to connect the downtown area with the Long Thanh airport when the airdrome is completed in the future.
