On the morning of January 1st, the People's Committee of Cao Bang province held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Dong Dang (Lang Son) - Tra Linh (Cao Bang) expressway, which is 93 km long and designed for a speed of 80 km/h.
The Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway starts at the Tan Thanh border gate intersection in Van Lang district, Lang Son province; and ends at the intersection with National Highway 3 in Chi Thao commune, Quang Hoa district, Cao Bang province. In phase one, the road has a speed limit of 80 km/h, two lanes, and a roadbed width of 17 m for normal sections and 13.5 m for sections with complex terrain.
The total investment for the first phase is over 14,330 billion VND, to be implemented over 36 months. This is the first PPP project to apply a special mechanism with the state budget contributing over 50% of the total investment due to the mountainous terrain and low traffic volume. The state budget contribution is expected to be 9,800 billion VND, accounting for 68% of the total investment, while the investor will mobilize over 4,450 billion VND (accounting for 31%).
The Prime Minister views a model of a Đồng Đăng - Trà Lĩnh expressway interchange. Photo: Tuấn Linh.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that Cao Bang's biggest bottleneck is transportation, as it currently only has roads. Without addressing this infrastructure issue, the province will find it very difficult to develop. "I have visited Cao Bang three or four times and am deeply concerned about the need for a road to connect the economies of the provinces, to improve the lives of the people of Lang Son and Cao Bang, and to repay the sacrifices of the people in the former war zone," he said.
The Prime Minister urged investors to build a training center to provide human resources for the northeastern provinces, continuing the spirit of "overcoming the sun and rain," "three shifts and four teams," and "only discussing progress, not regression," ensuring the project is completed on schedule, with quality and safety, and without exceeding the total investment. "This is the Dong Khe campaign of 2024, and we will achieve victory in 2026," the Prime Minister said.
The Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway was once planned by the Ministry of Transport with a length of 144 km and a total investment of over 47,000 billion VND. The route passes through rugged terrain, requires a large investment, while traffic volume is low, making the recouping of investment difficult.
Mr. Ho Minh Hoang, Chairman of Deo Ca Group (representing the consortium of investors), said that in 2018, Deo Ca accepted an invitation from Cao Bang to study the project. The initial approach according to the plan was almost at a standstill. The Group proposed adjusting the route with 4 tunnels through the mountains and bridges over the valleys, shortening the distance by 23 km, with the total investment for both phases reduced to nearly 23,000 billion VND. Subsequently, the National Assembly allowed a pilot program with state budget support up to 70%, resolving the capital difficulties.
A perspective view of a bridge on the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway.
Cao Bang shares a border with China stretching over 333 km, but lacks a railway and an airport. Existing national and provincial roads have limited traffic capacity.
According to Mr. Tran Hong Minh, Secretary of the Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee, the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway is the aspiration of many generations of ethnic people in the province. The completed road will promote inter-regional and international trade and tourism, enabling Cao Bang to develop rapidly and sustainably, strengthening national defense and security, and connecting Cao Bang with border provinces and international economic, political, and cultural centers.
To date, the country has completed 1,900 km of expressways and is currently constructing 1,700 km. By 2025, it is projected that the country will have 3,000 km of expressways, and by 2030, this number will reach 5,000 km.
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