Continuing to extend the highway.

The historic achievements of 2023 have laid a solid foundation for the Ministry of Transport to resolutely continue connecting the expressway network in 2024.

Add at least 130 km of highway.

In 2024, the transport sector is expected to receive the largest allocation of capital, over 57,735 billion VND (equivalent to 2.5 billion USD), accounting for more than 92.5% of the total capital allocated for the entire 2021-2025 period, which is over 63,700 billion VND (equivalent to 2.7 billion USD).

The new My Thuan - Can Tho expressway has just been inaugurated.

Therefore, from the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Transport has been racing to accelerate the disbursement of funds. The main task is to complete the two expressway projects, Dien Chau - Bai Vot and Cam Lam - Vinh Hao, totaling 128 km; and to commence construction on 14 expressway projects, including three projects under the management of the Ministry of Transport: Dau Giay - Tan Phu, Cho Moi - Bac Kan, and Lo Te - Rach Soi, and 11 expressways under the management of local authorities that are currently completing the necessary procedures.

The Dien Chau - Bai Vot and Cam Lam - Vinh Hao expressways are the final two sections of the North-South expressway project in the eastern region, phase 2017-2020. After the opening of these two routes this year, the Ministry of Transport will have basically completed 12 component projects of the North-South expressway in the 2021-2025 phase and some other sections to open the entire expressway from Lang Son to Ca Mau by 2025.

The highway extension will continue in 2024.

With that in mind, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang recently led a delegation to directly inspect the progress of the Dien Chau - Bai Vot project connecting Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. Currently, contractors have mobilized 101 out of 103 construction teams with nearly 2,000 engineers and workers, and hundreds of machines and equipment working simultaneously. As of January 21st, the completed work amounted to 5,897 billion VND, reaching 68.6% of the contract value. Despite considerable efforts, due to various reasons, the progress of some critical components of the project (such as weak soil treatment, the Than Vu tunnel, and several bridges and interchanges) has not met expectations. To date, the project is still 1.7% behind schedule.

The Minister of Transport has instructed the investor to direct contractors and supervisory consulting units to concentrate maximum manpower and machinery, working in "3 shifts, 4 teams," utilizing every day and every hour to accelerate progress. They should even work through the Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon) to ensure the project is completed and inaugurated in May. Once operational, the project will shorten travel time from Hanoi to Bai Vot (Ha Tinh) to just 4 hours, instead of the current 7 hours.

Meanwhile, the Cam Lam - Vinh Hao route is also urgently completing the final items to basically finish the road and bridge sections and put the project into use before March 30th. This 78.5 km long route will connect with the Nha Trang - Cam Lam expressway in the north and the Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao expressway in the south, allowing vehicles traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Khanh Hoa to travel non-stop on the expressway in 4-5 hours, instead of 6-8 hours as before.

Expressways are gradually connecting the North and South of Vietnam.

Will there no longer be "defective" highways?

The numerous expressways put into operation in 2023 have given a new look to Vietnam's transportation infrastructure. However, many expressways still do not meet standard width and speed limits, with only two lanes and a speed limit of 80-90 km/h; they lack emergency lanes and have a scarcity of rest stops… posing potential risks to road users.

Representatives from the Ministry of Transport acknowledged that, due to limited resources while the need for highway investment was very large, the Ministry had to implement a phased investment approach to ensure it was consistent with the highway planning and design standards, while also addressing immediate transportation needs and meeting the socio-economic development needs of localities.

However, the phased investment approach with a cross-sectional width of only two lanes and no median strip poses a potential traffic safety risk. Four-lane roads with discontinuous emergency stopping lanes also risk congestion in case of incidents if not handled promptly; and the operating speed during the phased investment period is limited. The Ministry of Transport has recognized and reviewed these shortcomings, and is developing solutions to expedite the expansion and completion of existing expressways according to the phased investment plan.

Currently, the draft design standards for expressways are being publicly reviewed by the Ministry of Transport and are scheduled for issuance in the first quarter. Accordingly, the road surface (the carriageway) on a completed expressway is stipulated to have a minimum of two lanes per direction and must ensure sufficient traffic capacity for the volume of vehicles. Regarding design speed, the Ministry of Transport plans to classify expressways into the following categories: Category 80 with a design speed of 80 km/h; Category 100 with a design speed of 100 km/h; Category 120 with a design speed of 120 km/h; and special design categories with design speeds exceeding 120 km/h, which will be studied and designed separately. The minimum design category (Category 80) should only be applied to areas with difficult terrain (such as mountainous or hilly regions) or in cases of phased investment...

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Transport will expedite the completion of investment procedures for expanding several routes from 2 lanes to 4 lanes and from 4 lanes to 6 lanes. Currently, there are 5 2-lane expressways nationwide with a total length of 371 km, including: Cam Lo - La Son, La Son - Hoa Lien, Yen Bai - Lao Cai, Hoa Lac - Hoa Binh, and Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi. Along with this, a review and prioritization of investment will be conducted to propose and report to competent authorities for approval to expand the remaining routes when sufficient resources are available. For new investment projects, priority will be given to investing in complete 4-lane expressways. In cases of phased investment, careful research and comparison of investment options are necessary, combined with a reasonable traffic management plan to ensure convenience, safety, and increased speed during operation and exploitation.

For infrastructure projects serving the transportation sector, such as rest stops and gas stations, the Ministry of Transport has developed and issued a Circular guiding the selection of investors for rest stops; and has approved a network of rest stops on the eastern section of the North-South Expressway, totaling approximately 37 stations along the entire 2,063 km route.

"Currently, the relevant units have organized open bidding and tenders on the National Bidding Network System. After the closing of the bidding process, the units will organize the evaluation of bids, announce the winning investors, and then proceed with implementation. It is expected that construction can begin in the second quarter. For new projects that are being prepared for implementation, rest stops will be planned, built, and operated in conjunction with the expressway section," a representative from the Ministry of Transport informed.

The Ministry of Transport has just issued a directive on accelerating the disbursement of public investment funds in 2024.

Accordingly, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang requested that project owners and project management boards promptly implement the allocation of expenditure budgets according to the assigned plan for the projects, in accordance with the required schedule; expedite the completion of payment procedures with the State Treasury when the work volume is accepted; and promptly record the receipt and disbursement of official development assistance (ODA) loans and preferential loans already disbursed with the State Treasury. At the same time, he called for strict disciplinary action against officials, departments, and divisions that do not comply with disbursement procedures and cause difficulties for units when processing payments.

The assigned units are tasked with developing detailed disbursement plans on a monthly and quarterly basis, identifying the "critical path" for disbursement for each project, and reporting to the Ministry (through the Planning and Investment Department) within January as a basis for managing and evaluating the unit's plan implementation results.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/tiep-tuc-noi-dai-cao-toc-185240123192824538.htm