Transportation breakthrough economic development of the region

Create development momentum

“The An Giang transport sector has been and is continuing to invest and orient investment with the goal of strengthening regional and inter-regional connectivity, developing “breakthrough transport infrastructure”, gradually removing bottlenecks in transport infrastructure, connecting the province's transport system to international transport routes, international border gates, creating favorable conditions for socio -economic development” - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Mung emphasized.

With the attention and direction of the Government, the Prime Minister, and the support of central ministries and branches, An Giang has invested in and started construction of many key projects and works, such as: The route connecting National Highway 91 and the Long Xuyen City bypass (put into operation on June 16, 2024); Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway (started on June 17, 2023, progress reached 48.6%); Project connecting regional connecting routes, section from Tan Chau Town to Chau Doc City, connecting Kien Giang and Dong Thap provinces, including Chau Doc Bridge (opened to traffic on April 23, 2024); Long Xuyen City bypass (opened to traffic on June 16, 2024)...

The province also implemented 32 key transport infrastructure projects from capital sources under the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2021 - 2025; expanding and upgrading Provincial Road 949 (Tinh Bien Town, 18.7km long); urgently upgrading and expanding Provincial Road 948 (connecting Tri Ton - Tinh Bien, 16.3km long); maintaining and repairing provincial roads, National Highway 91, National Highway 91C, National Highway N1 from capital sources for transport services and the State budget (with 22 project categories).

Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee Le Hong Quang inspected and directed to speed up the progress of Chau Doc- Can Tho -Soc Trang expressway.

Along with that, 260 rural traffic bridges were urgently built, reaching 163% of the plan of the Project on socialization of investment in the construction of rural traffic bridges in the province in the period of 2021 - 2025 (160 bridges). The total investment capital is 272.2 billion VND, of which 54.7 billion VND is the budget capital, the remaining 217.5 billion VND is mobilized from society, the people contributed 25,652 working days and 300m2 of land. Traffic and infrastructure development create momentum for economic growth. The province's GRDP in 2024 increased by 7.16% over the same period last year. With this growth rate, An Giang ranked 5th in the Mekong Delta region, 38th in the country. In terms of GRDP scale, the province ranked 5th in the Mekong Delta region. GRDP per capita (66.24 million VND) ranked 12th in the Mekong Delta region.

Untie the knot

The Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway (expected to be completed in July 2026) is of historical significance to the province. The total length of the project phase 1 is 188.2km. Of which, Component Project 1 through An Giang is 57km long, with a 4-lane investment scale. The project is carrying out procedures to invest in the expressway connecting to Tinh Bien International Border Gate and Khanh Binh National Border Gate.

Once completed, the route will open up a corridor towards the southwestern border (Cambodia, Laos), connecting key economic zones, as well as connecting An Giang province's transport system to international transport routes, creating opportunities for the province's goods to access large markets in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and export to countries with which Vietnam has signed a Free Trade Agreement (through Tran De deep-water port).

In addition to investing in vertical routes, the province has also paid attention to horizontal routes connecting vertical routes in recent times. The first horizontal route - the province's border area: Route N1 connects National Highway 91, connecting Sam Mountain Tourist Area, Cam Mountain Tourist Area, Chau Doc City Commercial Center with tourist areas of Ha Tien City (Kien Giang Province); connecting inter-regional routes to Dong Thap Province. This route is under construction and is expected to be completed in 2025. In the next phase, the province proposes the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with Dong Thap Province to invest in Tan Chau - Hong Ngu bridge across Tien River, route N1 connects with Hong Ngu - Tra Vinh Expressway.

The second horizontal axis - Chau Phu and Phu Tan districts: Provincial Road 945 (planned as National Highway 80C) has been invested with a scale of 2 lanes, connecting from National Highway 91 - Chau Phu district to the border of Kien Giang province. Orientation for the period 2026 - 2030, the remaining section will be invested including Nang Gu bridge (replacing Nang Gu ferry on Hau river), opening a new section of National Highway 80C through Phu Tan district; coordinating with Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee to invest in National Highway 30C to connect Provincial Road 945 with Hong Ngu - Tra Vinh expressway (Cao Lanh section to Dinh Ba border gate). Thus, in the future, an inter-regional horizontal axis will be formed, connecting with vertical axes, including: Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway, Hong Ngu - Tra Vinh expressway, connecting National Highway 80.

The 3rd horizontal axis - Long Xuyen City area, Cho Moi District: Orientation to 2030, investing in Ton Duc Thang bridge over Hau River and connecting route 944B. According to Decision 1369/QD-TTg on provincial planning, a horizontal axis will be formed connecting National Highway 91, Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway (intersection Km38 - Provincial Road 956), Provincial Road 944, National Highway 80B, Cao Lanh Bridge to Ho Chi Minh City. This horizontal axis has an important meaning in connecting the road system to Uncle Ton's hometown and memorial site.

If attention is paid and more resources are invested, in the next phase, the province's road traffic system will form 3 horizontal axes, the province's external road traffic system, with "horizontal and vertical" connections. From there, the terrain division will be overcome, traffic infrastructure bottlenecks will be removed, creating a foundation for An Giang's economy to develop, and together with the whole country, enter an era of development.

In the future, An Giang province will be established on the basis of merging the entire area and population of An Giang and Kien Giang provinces. After the merger, An Giang province borders Ca Mau province, Dong Thap province, Can Tho city and the Kingdom of Cambodia. The new province has the largest economic scale in the Southwest region, with a combination of maritime economy, border trade, agriculture and tourism; maximizing the potential and advantages of geographical location, land fund associated with advantages of border trade, seaports and tourism.

In particular, creating better planning conditions for infrastructure and transportation, increasing investment resources, developing the local economy, attracting businesses and investors. From there, promoting the local economy to develop to a new level.

HANH CHAU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giao-thong-but-pha-phat-trien-kinh-te-vung-a420035.html