Muong Te (Lai Chau) develops regional traffic connectivity

Before 2020, it took a lot of time to move from one commune to another in remote, isolated, and border areas of Muong Te district.

There are localities such as Ta Tong commune and Mu Ca commune; Pa U commune and Ta Ba commune, or Pa U commune and Pa Ve Su commune... although they are adjacent in administrative boundaries, the distance from the center of one commune to another can be up to hundreds of kilometers.

Most border villages do not have car roads into the village.

Limited development in transportation creates a large gap in economic development compared to advantaged regions.

The poverty rate in border communes, especially in remote villages, is high. In many villages, the poverty rate before 2020 was up to more than 90%.

Traffic in remote areas of Muong Te border area in previous years was often affected by natural disasters.

To shorten the distance and create momentum for economic and social development in border areas, the People's Committee of Lai Chau province has approved the implementation of the Ta Ba-Pa U inter-regional road project with a total investment of 164 billion VND.

The project, completed in 2021, will help shorten the travel distance between the centers of the two communes from more than 80km to less than 30km. The route has become a spearhead to promote the border economy of the two communes of Ta Ba and Pa U.

This vital traffic route has attracted dozens of businesses to invest in developing hydroelectric projects, afforestation projects, and medicinal plant planting projects; especially developing Lai Chau ginseng on the PuSiLung range, a plant with great potential that has been “dormant” for hundreds of years. From here, people have more opportunities for employment, cultural exchange, trade and business, creating opportunities for economic transformation for the people.

The Ta Ba-Pa U inter-regional road project shortens the travel distance between the centers of the two communes from more than 80km to less than 30km.

Mr. Ly Pham Xe, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ta Ba Commune, said that since the road connecting Ta Ba and Pa U has been built, people have had less trouble traveling. Previously, there was only one road into the commune, which was prone to landslides during the rainy season and was easily isolated. Now it is better because there is an additional connecting route, and people are more secure about traveling when the rainy season comes.

Not only is it convenient to travel, thanks to this connecting route, a number of businesses have come to the locality to invest in hydropower, ginseng cultivation, etc. According to the merger project recently approved by the councils at all levels, Ta Ba and Pa U communes will be merged. At that time, this connecting route will be the commune's lifeline, promoting the overall development of the locality and reducing travel time between villages to the new commune center in the future.

In the coming time, people hope that the State will continue to invest in upgrading and expanding the road from the center of Ta Ba commune to La Pe-Le Giang village to Lo Ma connecting to the current center of Ka Lang commune.

If this project is implemented, it will shorten the distance to Ka Lang commune center by 22km, creating a development axis for the border area adjacent to the U Ma Tu Khoong secondary border gate; this is also a driving force to promote development for the commune's less developed villages in the future.

With convenient traffic, businesses come to invest in growing ginseng and medicinal herbs.

In March 2025, the People's Committee of Lai Chau province approved the Project to renovate and repair a number of traffic routes in Pa Ve Su and Pa U communes, Muong Te district. The project has a total investment of 80 billion VND.

This is an important project to improve the traffic network to Sin Chai A, B, C villages, Pa Ve Su commune and Ha Xi village, Pa U commune, and at the same time connect the center of Pa U commune with Pa Ve Su commune, creating favorable travel conditions for people in the area, promoting agricultural production development in the region, contributing to the socio-economic development of the above localities; serving the management, patrol and protection of the border in the area.

Ms. Lo Phu Me, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Pa Ve Su commune, confided that the commune has been waiting for this project for a long time. Because if the project is completed, traffic to Sin Chai A, B, and C villages will be improved. These villages are the stopping point to reach the top of Pu Si Lung, the second highest mountain in Vietnam, with great potential for tourism development and Lai Chau ginseng cultivation.

Along with that, the villages will shorten the distance and be able to travel by car. This will be an advantage to attract investment and promote the development of medicinal herbs and large livestock farming. Thus, the life of the La Hu ethnic people in the villages will certainly be improved.

Road project connecting Nam Nga area, Ta Tong commune, Muong Te district with Muong Nhe district of Dien Bien.

In the period of 2020-2025, Muong Te border district (Lai Chau) invested in 57 new traffic projects with a scale of about 325km of roads and auxiliary items, with a total cost of more than 594 billion VND. Effective investment projects have contributed to promoting economic and social development and ensuring security and defense in Muong Te border district.

According to Mr. Le Thanh Tam - Director of the Management Board of Socio-Economic Development Projects of Muong Te District, it is expected that in the period of 2026-2030, Muong Te District will continue to invest in about 112 projects in the field of transportation; with a total investment of about 1,025 billion VND. In the future, although there will no longer be a district-level government, the merged communes will have fewer administrative units. However, to ensure regional connectivity after merging new communes, it is required that transportation must be one step ahead.

Therefore, it is necessary to continue investing in regional transport projects for disadvantaged localities and border areas to shorten travel distances for people as well as the gap between regions, narrow and eliminate barriers in remote areas to promote socio-economic development, ensure national defense and security in border areas.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/muong-te-lai-chau-phat-trien-giao-thong-ket-noi-vung-post877826.html