Today (April 27th), at Than Cuu Nghia intersection, Tien Giang province, the inauguration ceremony of Trung Luong – My Thuan highway took place, an important project for the Mekong Delta region. Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh attended and cut the ribbon for the inauguration.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh and delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway project – Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway is 51 km long, located in Tien Giang province, starting point at Than Cuu Nghia intersection (connecting Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong highway), ending point is An Thai Trung intersection, invested in the form of PPP built by Deo Ca Group. The project has a total investment of 12,668 billion VND.

Trung Luong – My Thuan Highway will be put into alternate traffic on the main route without toll from 7:30 a.m on April 30th, 2022, expected in 60 days, with a minimum speed of 60 km/h and a maximum speed of 80 km/h.

REALIZING THE GOVERNMENT’S PROMISE

Stating at the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister – Le Van Thanh said that implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, the Government is focusing on drastically directing to strive for complete 3,000 km of highway by 2025 and 5,000 km of highway by 2030.

“As of December 31st , 2021, we have only completed 1,163 km of the highway. Thus, there are still 4 years and a very heavy task to complete nearly 2,000 km of the highway”, Deputy Prime Minister stated.

The inauguration of the Trung Luong – My Thuan highway with a length of 51.5 km and a size of 4 lanes is very important. This is also the first step to strive from present to the end of 2022 to complete another 361 km of highway on the North – South route, striving to complete the entire North – South highway from Lang Son to Ca Mau Cape by 2025.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the inauguration of the Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway is a very important event, contributing to creating new momentum and development space for Tien Giang and neighboring provinces in the region – Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

“The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the inauguration and put into operation of the Trung Luong – My Thuan highway today has realized the promise of the Government to more than 20 million people in the Mekong Delta. The event was inaugurated and put into use. Using the Trung Luong – My Thuan highway today has realized the Government’s promise to more than 20 million people in the Mekong Delta.” Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh stated.

The event is very important, contributing to creating new motivation and development space for Tien Giang and neighboring provinces in the region; forming a synchronous and modern transport network to promote socio-economic development, maintain national defense and security in order to sustainably develop the Mekong Delta region and adapt to climate change.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, through the Trung Luong – My Thuan highway, we have learned some valuable experiences.

The project has been implemented since 2008, however, during the implementation process, there were many difficulties and delays due to many reasons. With the goal of completing the project to ensure progress, quality and efficiency, for many years, the Government and the Prime Minister have focused on directing and removing many difficulties and obstacles.

In particular, in 2019, the Prime Minister agreed to convert the competent State agency from the Ministry of Transport to the People’s Committee of Tien Giang province, and support an additional part of the budget to participate in the PPP project at the same time.

This is a new way of doing things, creating great initiative for the locality in deciding on issues related to project implementation. Thereby removing difficulties and obstacles, speeding up the completion of the project.

This model also helps to select and affirm the responsibility and capacity of investors in proactively proposing and implementing investment in the form of PPP with the support of the Government in order to maximize social resources for investors develop infrastructure systems, especially transport infrastructure.

Map of Trung Luong – My Thuan highway project – Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

The completion of the Trung Luong – My Thuan highway has overcome many difficulties and problems, and affirms the correctness of the local assignment as a competent State agency at the same time; lessons on screening, selecting contractors, capable investors (human resources, finance, technology, equipment…) and experience to invest effectively, shorten the construction schedule. “These lessons and new ways of doing things need to be summarized, evaluated and replicated soon,” Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh emphasized.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged and highly appreciated the initiative and innovation of the Party Committee, authorities and people of Tien Giang province, the Ministry of Transport, ministries and central agencies actively and actively supporting the project in the past time.

The Deputy Prime Minister also praised Deo Ca Group Joint Stock Company, Trung Luong – My Thuan Joint Stock Company, the Project Management Board, and consultants and contractors for taking initiative and creativity in many ways, overcome difficulties to fulfill the Government’s promise, complete the project and put it into use on schedule.

Deputy Prime Minister praised localities and units participating in the construction of Trung Luong-My Thuan project – Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

100,000 BILLION VND TO INVEST IN HIGHWAYS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS

The Deputy Prime Minister said that in the next 5 years, more than 100,000 billion VND will be invested to develop transportation infrastructure in the Mekong Delta with about 400 km of highways. This is a great priority of the Party and State to develop the Mekong Delta.

In which, in 2023, the My Thuan – Can Tho highway will be inaugurated with a length of 23 km; strives for starting the Can Tho – Ca Mau section with a length of 109 km by 2022 and complete it by the end of 2025.

Along with these projects, Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang highway with the length of 191 km will be started.

To implement the above policy of transport infrastructure development, the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Transport, the People’s Committee of Tien Giang province and localities in the Mekong Delta, investors and contractors to focus on performing a number of important main mission.

Firstly, localities in the Mekong Delta (Can Tho, Hau Giang, An Giang, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Long An, Dong Thap…) focus on leading, directing, prioritizing resources and focusing high level for project preparation, site clearance, ensuring material supply, and coordinating with the Ministry of Transport and related ministries and branches during project implementation.

Secondly, the Deputy Prime Minister asked to study the model and practices at the Trung Luong – My Thuan project to replicate in the implementation of projects with similar conditions, contributing to attracting social resources to realize the project, achieving the goal of completing 3,000 km of highway by 2025 and 5,000 km by 2030.

For the Trung Luong – My Thuan project, investors and contractors are required to focus on completing the connecting traffic system, the collection road system, and the emergency stop lane to maximize efficiency.

The Ministry of Transport, local authorities and enterprises implementing the project need to develop regulations and guidelines on management, operation, and exploitation of works, ensuring smooth, safe and effective.

Building a professional and efficient operation management apparatus; strongly apply modern technology in operation and exploitation (toll collection cost, load control, traffic guidance, rescue and rescue…) so that the BOT project deserves “great money”, avoid traffic jams.

Duc Tuan

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/hoan-thanh-tron-ven-loi-hua-voi-hon-20-trieu-nguoi-dan-dbscl-102220427105519634.htm