National Highway 49F (old Highway 71) needs capital to upgrade and expand.

Great demand

National Highway 49F (old Highway 71 connecting A Luoi and Phong Dien) from Phong Dien port to Hong Van border gate, A Luoi district (old) is about 100km long, part of the roadbed was formed during the war. Currently, in addition to some sections that have been upgraded in recent years, there is about 70km from National Highway 1A to Ho Chi Minh road, the section through mountainous areas is currently narrow, with potential risk of landslides, not meeting the needs of transporting and trading goods. With the characteristics of steep terrain, one side is deep abyss, the other side is high mountains, the cross-section has many streams, so in the rainy season there are often strong currents, causing a high risk of landslides on the traffic route. This is also a forestry route with many economic forest areas of the people. During the exploitation season, many heavy-duty vehicles operate continuously, causing Highway 71 to become more and more degraded.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, Chairman of the People's Committee of A Luoi 1 Commune, said that as a locality merged from Hong Thuy, Hong Van, Trung Son, Hong Kim communes, the traffic infrastructure system has been invested quite stably. However, for Road 71 through the commune, about 25km, it is still a dirt road, causing difficulties for travel and local economic development. If invested in expansion and upgrading, Road 71 will create favorable conditions not only in shortening the route for transporting goods and agricultural products, stimulating local tourism development, but also serving the transportation of coal from Laos and reducing the load on the existing National Highway 49A. Therefore, the commune also proposed that the city recommend the Government and central ministries to pay attention to investing in upgrading Road 71 connecting with Phong Dien (old), as well as coordinating the construction of border belt roads, serving local economic development and ensuring security and defense.

Need capital to upgrade

Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh led a Government delegation to have a working session with the Standing Committee of the Hue City Party Committee to assess the socio-economic development situation, the operation of the two-level local government model and the orientation of key infrastructure investment in the area. To create momentum for socio-economic development, at the meeting, the city proposed that the Government consider supporting major projects such as: National Highway 49F connecting Phong Dien port to Hong Van border gate; resettlement areas serving the North-South high-speed railway; the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction; support to remove obstacles for non-budget projects in the area...

According to the City People's Committee, National Highway 49F from Phong Dien port to Hong Van border gate is about 100km long. Currently, the demand for transporting minerals such as coal, bauxite... from Laos through Hue seaport is very large. In order to support Laos in increasing the capacity of goods circulation, promoting cooperation between Vietnam and Laos; at the same time, improving the efficiency of existing industrial parks and border economic zones in Hue city, developing trade, service and tourism activities between the two countries in conjunction with strengthening national defense and security, therefore, investing in upgrading National Highway 49F is necessary.

In addition, this is also the shortest route connecting Hong Van border gate to Phong Dien seaport. Of which, the first 17km section from National Highway 1A to Phong Dien port has been invested by the city, expected to be put into operation on the occasion of National Day, September 2. The last section from Ho Chi Minh road to Hong Van border gate, about 13km long, has been upgraded and expanded by the Ministry of Construction, expected to be completed in 2026; the remaining 70km section from National Highway 1A to Ho Chi Minh road with a total project investment of about 5,500 billion VND, has not been invested due to unbalanced resources. Therefore, the city proposes that the Government and ministries pay attention to arranging capital from the central budget to soon implement this project.

In the planning and investment orientation for the development of the city's seaports, Phong Dien wharf area by 2030 will have a development scale of 8 to 12 wharves with a total length of 1,250m to 2,620m, and a throughput capacity of 6 million to 11 million tons. According to the City People's Committee, Phong Dien port belongs to the master plan for the development of Vietnam's seaport system in the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister. The City People's Committee is calling for investment and organizing the selection of investors to build ports in Phong Dien wharf area.

Currently, the city is focusing on investing in social infrastructure and technical infrastructure projects to create great spillover effects on the East-West economic corridor axis to connect 3 seaport clusters with 2 Vietnam-Laos border gates, including National Highway 49F from Phong Dien port to Hong Van border gate.

Article and photos: HA NGUYEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/xay-dung-giao-thong/nang-cap-quoc-lo-49f-de-phuc-vu-van-chuyen-hang-hoa-156903.html