A map shows the current transport network in southern Vietnam (Photo: Ministry of Transport) Theexpressway projects, which are part of the national road network draftplan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, were discussedat a workshop held in Can Tho City in the delta recently.
Under thedraft plan, the south would have an additional 670km of expressways by2025 and 300km by 2030.
Of thefigure, the delta would include the 150km Can Tho - Ca Mau, 100km HaTien - Rach Gia - Bac Lieu and 64km Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressways.
Speaking atthe workshop, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said the draftplan was basically completed and that localities should contribute moreideas for development of the southern region, not just for onelocality.
“The scaleand quality of the transport network in the delta are still low comparedto other regions, so there should be solutions to remove these bottleneckssoon,” he said.
In the 2010-2020period, about 1,757km of expressways and 6,000km of national highwayswere completed and opened for traffic across the country.
Ofthat figure, the Mekong Delta has only 117km of expressways, including the61.9km HCM City - Trung Luong Expressway operating since 2010, and the55.1km Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway under construction.
He saidthat road surfaces in the Delta should be upgradedand traffic-safety management systems improved. Investmentin radial axes connected with national highways is also needed.
The priorityshould be given to building an axis road linking HCM City with the delta,he said.
Arepresentative of Transport Engineering Design Inc (TEDI), the consultantfor the plan, said the plan focused on developing expressway systemsby 2030.
The north,central, Central Highlands, southeast and Mekong Delta regionswould have 5,414km of expressways in the next 10 years and 8,240km by 2050.
Of thefigure, there would be 10 expressways with a total length of 1,258kmin the south, and two belt roads in HCM City with a length of 304km.
In addition,1.969km of 14 primary highways and 3,453km of 25 secondary highwayswould be developed in the south.
TEDI saidthe plan would create linkages between regions, industrialzones, urban areas and key economic regions,and use different means of transport.
Theplan would help to upgrade highway systems, ensure safetyof traffic infrastructure, and handle traffic 'blackspots' on national and provincial highways.
Ngo Thinh Duc,Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Bridge and RoadScience and Technology, said many planned expressways in the southhad yet to start construction.
By 2030, theexpressway system must extend to the southernmost province of CaMau, he said.
The Dai NgaiBridge project should be completed by 2025. It is located on NationalHighway No 60 and is a vital link between the highway and other roads ofthe southern coastal corridor.
Itsconstruction began in late 2015, but was later delayed due toa shortage of capital.
The bridge,which will reduce traffic pressure on National Highway No 1A,will shorten the travel distance by 70 km between HCM Cityand the provinces of Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau./.
VNA
