Highway experience

At the grand ceremony, the poet and businessman of Thai origin named Diep Bui emphasized a rather blunt proposal:

From now on, if you're going to Phan Thiet, just head onto the Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway and enjoy a smooth, fast, and comfortable ride, perfect for tourists and skilled drivers alike!

Architect and feng shui researcher Vinh Quang argued eloquently and concisely:

- He's joking, of course! You'd have to go buy sugar!

"Yes, we're going to buy sugar. Whoever loses the bet has to pay a few cases of beer for the whole group!" Poet and businessman Diep Bui, of Thai descent, humorously concluded.

"Former journalist, now entrepreneur" (formerly a reporter, then an entrepreneur) nicknamed Sao Mai, watched the bitter coffee drip slowly, and smiled faintly:

- After the grand ceremony, Sao Mai will treat you all to a scenic drive along the Long Thanh - Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, with all expenses covered by Sao Mai. Depart in the morning and return in the afternoon, enjoying sun-dried squid and premium Phan Thiet seafood for lunch. Each person will have their own Hoa Long rice wine, brought along by the feng shui expert Vinh Quang. Upon departure, Sao Mai will give each of you a case of genuine fish sauce, a thoughtful gesture to please your wives!

The self-proclaimed professors of the "Coffee 144" association applauded enthusiastically for Sao Mai's initiative. After a five-day holiday, Sao Mai kept their promise, and on Saturday, May 6th, 2023, the entire group embarked on a highway driving experience. Sao Mai's travel log, automatically recorded using 4.0 technology, shows that at 8:00 AM, the Ford Everest, driven by Vu Phong, started its engine and departed from Vung Tau beach; arriving at the Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway interchange at 9:10 AM; and at the Dau Giay interchange at 10:20 AM. Upon reaching the outskirts of Phan Thiet, the expressway was temporarily barricaded – the point where it connects with the Vinh Hao – Phan Thiet expressway, scheduled for a champagne-toast on May 19th. The Ford Everest turned right for over 1 km to meet National Highway 1A, and after another 15 km, reached the center of Phan Thiet, with the clock showing exactly 10:45 AM. In conclusion, the Vung Tau - Phan Thiet highway trip took 2 hours and 45 minutes.

On the way back to Vung Tau, the whole group followed the coastal route Phan Thiet – La Gi – Ho Tram – Long Hai, departing at 2:30 PM and arriving in Vung Tau at 5:50 PM, a travel time of 3 hours and 20 minutes, almost an hour slower than taking the highway. Clearly, the suggestion of the Thai-born poet and businessman Diep Bui was spot on – the feng shui expert Quang Vinh lost the bet and paid the whole group two cases of beer.

Upon hearing the news, the colleagues from Binh Thuan Newspaper enthusiastically welcomed the Sao Mai group to Phan Thiet at the Bien Dong seafood restaurant. They were all in high spirits, except for driver Vu Phong, who drank Vinh Hao bottled water to avoid being stopped by traffic police for a breathalyzer test. Sao Mai, on behalf of the group, invited their friends from Binh Thuan to take a similar "highway experience" trip in the future. The whole group applauded enthusiastically, agreeing that the highway experience was fast, healthy, and convenient.

With the highway driving experience, a few major characteristics can be observed:

- Highways are the standard choice, the "golden key" to activating major economic zones and promoting tourism development. Wherever roads are built, socio-economic life flourishes, and cultural light spills over. The government and localities have their own mechanisms for highway projects, ensuring harmony between the central and local levels. To promote highways, mobilizing budget capital is not enough; a system for mobilizing socialized capital is needed. The Dau Giay - Phan Thiet highway currently only has 2 lanes on each side; with additional capital, it needs to be expanded. The Dau Giay - Phan Thiet highway, which does not pass through residential areas, has been inaugurated, but the pedestrian overpasses are incomplete, there is a lack of access roads, and at this time only 3 out of 7 interchanges are operational, with no rest stops; mobile phone signal on the highway is intermittent.

- With the expressway, the beautiful coastal route from Vung Tau – Cua Lap – Long Hai – Ho Tram – La Gi – Phan Thiet has become "congested," with shorter distances but longer travel times compared to the expressway. It's time to expand and upgrade the road surface quality of the coastal route connecting Binh Thuan with Ba Ria – Vung Tau, shortening travel time and facilitating tourism and new economic zone linkages. Along with the expressway network, a synchronized system of connecting ring roads needs to be invested in soon.

The highway experience was fun, but there were also some things that weren't quite perfect...

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