Prioritizing resource allocation, determined to complete 3,000 km of expressway by 2025

Continuing the question-and-answer session for the transportation sector, on the afternoon of June 9, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh explained and clarified many issues that National Assembly deputies were interested in.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh clarified the Government's state management role in the field of transport. Photo: Minh Duc/VNA

Reporting on some contents related to the overall implementation of expressways in the coming period, the Deputy Prime Minister said, in the spirit of the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, the 10-year socio-economic development strategy for the next 10 years. In the 2021 - 2030 period, we set a goal to complete 3,000 km of expressways by 2025, and 5,000 km of expressways by 2030.

On the basis of the Resolution of the Central Committee, the Politburo determined, the North-South expressway in the 2021-2025 period must be completed, prioritizing allocating resources to implement this project. On that basis, the Government submitted to the National Assembly and the National Assembly approved the Medium-term Public Investment Plan, supplementing capital from the Socio -economic Recovery and Development Program with the total resources allocated for expressway is 339 trillion VND for the period 2021 - 2025.

Regarding expressway deployment lists in the 2021-2025 period, the Deputy Prime Minister said that major projects will be focused on: the East North-South Expressway in the 2017-2020 period with a length of 654 kilometer; The East North-South Expressway in the 2021-2025 period has a length of 729 km. The Government has submitted to the National Assembly at this session 5 highways with a length of 549 km. Thus, the total length of all expressways being deployed is 1,932 km. The number of kilometers of the expressway that has been completed to date is 1,290 km. Including projects that have been completed and put into operation and projects in progress, the expressway is 3,222 km.

Regarding the specific implementation progress of projects, the North - South East Expressway for the period 2017 - 2020 has been approved by the National Assembly in 2017 with a length of 654 km, has started in 3 years. (2019, 2020 and 2021), will complete the line in 2023.

The Eastern North-South Expressway in the 2021-2025 period with a length of 729 km was approved by the National Assembly at the Extraordinary Session in January 2022, and has now started to develop investment projects, tally, and mark milestones. gender, make a compensation plan. The entire 729 km will start construction in 2022, strive to complete in 2025, open the entire North - South expressway by 2025 with a total length of 2,063 km from Lang Son to Ca Mau.

The remaining routes, Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot are expected to start construction in June 2023 if approved by the National Assembly at this session and basically completed in 2025, put into operation and use in 2026.

The construction of the Ring Road 3 in Ho Chi Minh City and the Ring Road 4 in the Capital Region will commence in June 2023 and be completed in 2026.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government determines this is a very heavy task. Capital construction investment procedures according to current regulations are very cumbersome, usually taking 2 to 3 years for a project. Large site clearance, about 10,198 ha, relocation and resettlement of about 19,841 households. Particularly, the volume of construction materials (stone, sand, backfill materials) is about 200-250 million cubic meters.

Regarding solutions to be implemented in the coming time, the Deputy Prime Minister said that resources must be highly concentrated, invested completely, not spread; shorten investment procedures from 1 to 2 years; decentralize the local implementation of the project.

The Government has established a Steering Committee with members being leaders of ministries, branches and localities where the expressway passes; Conduct monthly meetings to review work progress. The Ministry of Transport and investors conduct weekly briefings to remove difficulties and handle contractors who do not ensure progress. In this case, contractors who are behind schedule must immediately replace them. The Project Management Boards must proactively remove obstacles and difficulties in order to ensure the progress of the projects.

"Completing the above tasks, it must be affirmed, is not easy. The Government is very determined to achieve the goal set by the Resolution of the XIII National Congress, to complete 3,000km of highway to the destination. by 2025 and 5,000km of highways by 2030. The Government looks forward to continuing to receive the sharing and support of the National Assembly in the implementation of this important task," emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister.