People in the Mekong Delta have high expectations for the Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressway.

People's aspirations

For the people of the Mekong Delta, the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway is expected to break the monopoly of the expressway, reduce traffic congestion on National Highway 1 and other routes such as National Highway 91, the Southern Hau River road, etc. Goods and agricultural products from the Mekong Delta will be transported to consumption areas quickly, and tourism connecting localities will also have the opportunity to develop more strongly...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and delegates performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai (52 years old, residing in Da Phuoc commune, An Phu district, An Giang province) emotionally said: "Not only me, but all the people in the border area of ​​An Giang province are very happy that the expressway to Chau Doc has been started. Hopefully, when completed, it will shorten travel time and make trade more convenient, because everyone here is fed up with traveling on National Highway 91, which is narrow and has too much traffic."

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Manager of the Mount Sam Cable Car Tourist Area (Chau Doc City), excitedly said: "Honestly, the people here have been waiting for this day for a long time. With the expressway, tourists will certainly have more convenience when coming to Chau Doc. In addition, the transportation of goods for businesses will be easier, reducing costs and time. There will be many development opportunities for the people and businesses."

The Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway has a total length of 188 km and is expected to be completed in 2027.

Farmer Bui Van Hoa (55 years old, residing in Hamlet 3, Tan Hoa Commune, Chau Thanh A District, Hau Giang Province), who regularly transports fruit to neighboring provinces for consumption, said: "Before, on the national highway, drivers only averaged about 40 km/hour, and had to load and unload goods 3-4 times to reach Chau Doc (An Giang). With the highway, vehicles will travel faster, saving time and making things less difficult for us."

Sharing the joy with the people of An Giang and Hau Giang, Mr. To Van Huu (60 years old, residing in Cho Cu hamlet, My Xuyen town, Soc Trang province) shared that everyone in this area is excited that the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway is being built, passing through their land. Mr. Huu's family has over 650 ^m² of land affected by the project and received over 2 billion VND in compensation and support. Having received the compensation in May 2023, Mr. Huu is urgently building a new, more spacious house to stabilize his life as soon as possible.

Solving regional and inter-regional linkage problems

Dr. Tran Huu Hiep, an economic expert in Can Tho, believes that this brand-new expressway will create a completely new development space for the four provinces of An Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang. It will also help the Mekong Delta provinces open up a gateway to the Southwest, connecting with neighboring Cambodia. Looking more broadly, the six expressways, including the Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang expressway, are expected to usher in a new phase of development for the Mekong Delta. "When transportation is convenient, it will lead to a series of advantages in attracting investment, including in education, tourism, and cultural exchange…," Dr. Hiep said.

Highway systems are being invested in simultaneously across the Mekong Delta.

Sharing this view, Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam, Director of the Can Tho branch of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry, stated that the 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta still heavily rely on the old national highway system. This is a significant limitation, especially for goods transportation. Limitations in traffic and speed lead to increased time costs, while limitations on load capacity also increase transportation costs.

From a business perspective, Mr. Lam believes that the Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang expressway will not only solve problems related to trade, transportation, and tourism, connecting localities in the Mekong Delta, but also help businesses in the delta access the Cambodian market in the future. This will also be a major expressway contributing to facilitating trade between the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeast region. "I believe that with the completion of this expressway, the volume of goods between localities in the Mekong Delta and the southern provinces and cities could double compared to the current level," Mr. Lam stated.

However, to ensure the highway project is completed as expected by the people, Dr. Tran Huu Hiep believes that lessons must be learned from previous highway projects, such as the Trung Luong - My Thuan highway, which has been delayed for 13 years and has had its investor changed three times. "Lessons regarding capital allocation, management mechanisms, land clearance, contractor capacity, construction progress, and project quality must be learned to avoid repeating past mistakes. Especially now, the simultaneous implementation of multiple projects will create major problems, and one of the most concerning issues is the shortage of sand for road embankment," Dr. Hiep said.

The Chau Doc - Soc Trang - Can Tho Expressway Project (Phase 1) has a total length of 188.2 km, passing through four provinces and cities: An Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang. The total investment is 44,691 billion VND from the central and local budgets. The project's starting point connects to National Highway 91 (in Chau Doc City, An Giang) and its end point intersects with the Southern Hau River National Highway, connecting to the Tran De Port access road (Soc Trang). In Phase 1, the project will be developed with 4 lanes and a design speed of 100 km/h; the completed phase will expand to 6 lanes.

According to the plan, phase 1 of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway will have some sections with high traffic volume basically completed by 2025; the entire route will be basically completed by 2026 and the entire project will be completed and put into operation simultaneously by 2027.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-dan-dbscl-dat-nhieu-ky-vong-vao-cao-toc-chau-doc-can-tho-soc-trang-185230618105506691.htm