On our way...

The country is standing at a new historical juncture, a new era, an era of national resurgence. In this spirit and general trend, Thanh Hoa has been and continues to build its strength and momentum, undergoing a powerful transformation in "quality" after having accumulated sufficient "quantity." With the mission of "leading the way," developing transportation infrastructure opens the path to the future...

The Van Thien to Ben En road is currently under urgent construction by the relevant units. Photo: Huong Thao

Awaken the "sleeping princess"

The construction site of the Van Thien - Ben En road is bustling with activity in the final days of the year! This road passes through the territories of two districts: Nong Cong (5.5km) and Nhu Thanh (6.6km), with a design speed of 80km/h and a total investment of nearly 1,200 billion VND. The road, a Class III road in the plains with 4 lanes according to TCVN 4054-2005 standards, is gradually taking shape.

For a long time, Ben En National Park has been considered the "Ha Long Bay on land" of Thanh Hoa province, and its potential and advantages for tourism development are undeniable. Yet, to this day, this area has not been effectively exploited and developed to its full potential and advantages. Many reasons have been cited, including limitations in transportation infrastructure. Currently, transportation to Ben En National Park is mainly via National Highway 45 and Provincial Road 520, which are small in scale but densely populated along both sides. Upgrading and expanding these roads is very difficult and requires significant investment, creating a bottleneck in the exploitation and development of tourism in the area.

Therefore, the province's attention and investment in the construction project of the Van Thien to Ben En road opens up many expectations for a breakthrough in this tourist area in the future. Mr. Le Cong Cuong, Director of the Management Board and Head of the Forest Ranger Station of Ben En National Park, stated: "The road plays an important role in strengthening the connection between Ben En National Park and the regional transportation network, especially connecting with the North-South Expressway in the East, creating conditions to expand the development space for the province to the Southwest, acting as a lever for the development of tourism in Nhu Thanh in particular and Thanh Hoa province in general to become a key economic sector, contributing to socio-economic development in a green and sustainable direction."

Paving the way into an era of growth...

The opening of wide avenues and connecting roads maximizes potential and advantages, shortens distances, and opens up a bright future, significantly contributing to socio-economic development. The competition for time is also a fierce economic race, a battle for competitive opportunities, development capacity, and investment attraction... This is vividly and concretely demonstrated by the impressive socio-economic development figures and indicators that Thanh Hoa achieved in 2024. The growth rate of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) is estimated at 11.72%, exceeding the plan and ranking third nationwide. The province is estimated to have welcomed 15.3 million tourists, an increase of 22.5% compared to the same period, with total tourism revenue estimated at 33,815 billion VND, an increase of 38%. The province's state budget revenue is estimated at 54,341 billion VND, exceeding the forecast by 52.8% and increasing by 25.9% compared to the same period last year, the highest ever, ranking first among North Central provinces and eighth nationwide. Total investment implemented in the province is estimated at 138,856 billion VND, equivalent to 102.9% of the plan and increasing by 4.5% compared to the same period last year...

At the recent 37th meeting of the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Doan Anh emphasized: 2025 plays a particularly important role, being the year of completion, a key and decisive year for achieving the goals of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, and the province's 5-year socio-economic development plan 2021-2025; it is also the year for organizing Party congresses at all levels, leading up to the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Resolution of the 19th Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, sets the following goals: Average growth rate of Gross Regional Product (GRDP) of 11% or higher; GRDP per capita in 2025 reaching 5,200 USD or higher; total social investment mobilization over 5 years reaching 750 trillion VND or higher...

The bigger the goal, the greater the effort and determination required, as well as strategic, practical, and effective solutions. To realize that goal, the transportation sector continues to strive to fulfill its mission. Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation, said: “In the coming time, Thanh Hoa will continue to make efforts, closely adhere to the goals and tasks, and implement comprehensive solutions to contribute to the breakthrough in infrastructure, creating momentum to promote socio-economic development.”

According to the plan, the province will focus on investing in upgrading, renovating, and expanding national and provincial roads, and constructing new major and important roads with a total length of 282km, prioritizing the allocation of capital to implement several key projects to strengthen regional connectivity. The rural road system will be completed, ensuring scale, structure, and standards to meet the National Target Program for New Rural Development; striving to have 100% of commune roads paved by 2030. The project to dredge the shipping channel into Nghi Son Port and Nghi Son Economic Zone will be completed; investment will be attracted for the construction of new Quang Chau Port and Quang Nham - Hai Chau Port; aiming for a cargo throughput of approximately 69 million tons/year in Thanh Hoa's seaports. Investment will be actively sought for the construction of Tho Xuan Airport under the PPP model, with the goal of achieving a capacity of 5 million passengers before 2030. Investment will continue to be sought for the construction of a regional logistics center in Nghi Son. Provincial-level logistics centers are located in the western area of ​​Thanh Hoa City and the Lam Son - Sao Vang Industrial Park. Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung added: “The province has assigned the Department of Transport to conduct pre-feasibility studies on several projects, including the Ring Road 3 connecting Hoang Hoa and Quang Xuong. Based on the assigned tasks, the department is striving to complete the research and surveys, and report to the central ministries and agencies to soon invest in the bypass road of Ring Road 3 connecting Hoang Hoa and Quang Xuong, reducing pressure on the inner city area of ​​Thanh Hoa City and creating development space for the localities through which the road passes.”

The province is focusing on mobilizing resources and allocating capital to invest in and complete large-scale, key projects that facilitate convenient connections within and outside the province, linking regions and dynamic economic centers. The focus is on routes connecting the interchanges of the North-South expressway with the province's economic and political centers, industrial zones, tourist areas, urban areas, seaports, and airports. Simultaneously, it is investing in the construction, upgrading, and renovation of the transportation system according to the established plans and schedules, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development in the province.

Continue reviewing and researching proposed lists of projects capable of attracting investment through the PPP method, aiming to effectively combine and mobilize resources from the private sector according to the principle of "using public investment to lead private investment," creatively applying the "private investment - public use" and "public leadership - private management" models in the investment, management, and operation of transport infrastructure projects; focusing on attracting investment in key infrastructure projects that connect regions and provinces, with a focus on aviation and seaport infrastructure.

Promote and attract private capital direct investment through investment approval for projects that businesses can undertake and perform better in accordance with the law, instead of using state budget funds, such as: investment projects in port facilities in the Nghi Son Port area; investment in the construction of logistics centers, bus stations, parking lots, and rest stops on expressways and national highways; investment in transportation infrastructure in industrial zones, tourist areas, and new urban areas... At the same time, continue to focus on effectively mobilizing capital and labor contributions from the people to, together with state funds, invest in the construction and upgrading of rural road systems.

Strengthen management and improve the efficiency of public investment in transportation infrastructure projects, while simultaneously promoting administrative reform and significantly improving the investment and business environment. This will create favorable conditions for businesses and investors in the research, implementation, and operation of transportation infrastructure projects. Strictly and fully implement the investment procedures for projects using public investment capital; regularly inspect and urge contractors to accelerate construction progress, disburse funds promptly, and manage advance payments strictly according to regulations. Strengthen the dissemination of policies, laws, and regulations on investment, construction, and protection of transportation infrastructure. Coordinate closely with districts, towns, and cities in land clearance to facilitate construction and accelerate project implementation.

Effectively develop and implement the Thanh Hoa Provincial Domestic Loan Scheme to mobilize additional capital from the issuance of local government bonds, loans from domestic financial institutions and other organizations, and loans from the Government's foreign loans to the province. Prioritize the use of borrowed capital to invest in transportation routes to strengthen East-West connectivity of the province, including: the project connecting Thanh Hoa City with the western districts of the province; the road from Thanh Hoa City to Thieu Hoa and Yen Dinh districts (including Thieu Khanh bridge, Thanh Hoa City)...

Thuy Duong - Huong Thao

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/mo-duong-bai-3-tren-duong-ta-di-toi-233973.htm