Transport infrastructure "must go first" for development

Early February 9, provincial delegation,  including Nguyen Van Loi, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Head of provincial National Assembly deputy delegation; Vo Van Minh, Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Van Loc, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of provincial Party Committee’s Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairman of provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Nguyen Van Danh, Vice-Chairman of provincial People's Committee together with leaders of a number of departments and sectors, leaders of Thu Dau Mot city, Thuan An city, Becamex IDC had a field trip of the projects on National Highway 13 with the sections from Thuan An city’s Vinh Phu ward to the tunnels at Phuoc Kien and Cho Dinh intersections in Thu Dau Mot city.

Project on expanding National Highway 13 to be commenced on April 30 holiday

At the field trip, Mr. Loi emphasized that transport infrastructure must go first to attract investment and develop economy - society, especially for the local industrial, service and urban development. In order not to miss the opportunity for investment attraction and development, the province will focus on speeding up the implementation of the local projects on transport infrastructure.

National Highway 13 will be expanded for the local socio-economic development

According to provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board, the project to expand National Highway 13 with the section from Vinh Phu to Le Hong Phong intersection is 12.7km long. The first phase of the project from Vinh Phu to Ong Bo bridge is 4,875m long; the second phase from Ong Bo bridge to Huu Nghi intersection is 2,868m long; the third phase from Tu Do intersection to Le Hong Phong intersection in Thu Dau Mot city is 4,898m long. It is expected that the project will expand to the right by 2 more lanes with width from 12-18m, reaching 8 lanes, with road surface from 39.5 - 40.5m wide. On the route, there are also an overpass at the Huu Nghi - Binh Hoa intersections with the scale of 880m long and 17m wide; an overpass at Hoa Lan intersection with the scale of 646m long and 17m wide. Tan Phu bridge will be upgraded with the total width of 40.5m. In addition, the province will build 3-lane box culverts at Suoi Giua toll station.

Mr. Minh said that in addition to the B.O.T project to expand National Highway 13, which has been approved by the Government, localities, departments and sectors in the province are speeding up the progress of site clearance and compensation. Under the B.O.T form, Becamex IDC Corporation is capable of ensuring construction in the shortest time. Particularly, projects related to intersections on National Highway 13 have also been designed in detail and convenience by Becamex IDC, which is the basis for implementing site clearance and construction in the near future. The province is directing functional sectors and agencies to coordinate with Thu Dau Mot city to speed up the progress of construction of the intersection project at Phuoc Kien crossroads with total investment of about VND 1.5trillion…

According to reports by leaders of localities where the project has passed, inventory work has been basically completed to be ready for compensation and site clearance in order to start the project soon. Regarding compensation work at the Phuoc Kien and Cho Dinh intersections, Nguyen Thu Cuc, Chairwoman of Thu Dau Mot city’s People's Committee said that the city has established a price appraisal council, determined to speed up the task of applying compensation prices to people, quickly handing over the premises to the project. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thanh Tam, Chairman of Thuan An city’s People's Committee also excitedly said that the city has completed inventory and appraisal for applying compensation prices related to the project on expanding the National Highway 13 at the section through it. Initially, the project has received a high consensus from many people and enteprirses. Some areas can now be assigned to construction units of the project.

Ensuring people’s interests

After hearing reports on the progress of the implementation of the project from localities, departments and sectors, Mr. Loi highly appreciated the efforts by localities and units in preparation of documents and procedures. Nguyen Van Loi noted that in the first quarter of 2022, localities and relevant units need to focus on completing procedures. They need to bend on site clearance for the commencement of the above-mentioned key projects in the second quarter of the year. Compensation and site clearance units also need to strengthen mass mobilization work so that people and enteprises can agree and see the common benefits from the project.

Cho Dinh intersection in Thu Dau Mot city will also be built to ensure convenient circulation

Mr. Loi also agreed on the time to start the project at the latest on the upcoming holiday of April 30. He asked for provincial People's Committee and Department of Planning and Investment to speed up the progress of related procedures and documents. In addition to noting that site clearance must receive the consent of the people, ensuring "reasonable and lawful" policies on compensation and resettlement. In order to speed up the progress of site clearance, it is necessary for localities and relevant units to step up propaganda and persuasion for people…

He added that provincial Fatherland Front Committee, Party Committee’s Mass Mobilization Commission in collaboration with provincial People's Committee, departments, sectors and localities to form up "citizen reception groups" at projects to handle complaints and reflections from people. He also suggested functional agencies and localities with related projects to go to people's houses to mobilize, persuade them in compensation and site clearance under the principle of "easiness to do first, difficulty to do later"…

Nguyen Van Loi, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Head of provincial National Assembly Deputy Delegation: "If being slow in infrastructure investment, we will miss two beats in terms of investment attraction and development. Binh Duong will not be able to develop anymore when the local potential for development of transport infrastructure is very low. Therefore, we need to focus on developing and expanding transport infrastructure to ensure development in terms of industrial manufacture, urban areas, services and workers' housing. In order to rearrange Binh Duong's urban areas for development in the coming years, the province's transport infrastructure "must go first".

Vo Van Minh, Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People's Committee: "Currently, provincial Department of Planning and Investment is evaluating design documents for the B.O.T contract to expand the National Highway 13. In early April, the province will sign a B.O.T contract for the National Highway 13 expansion project, which will begin construction during the upcoming April 30 holiday. There are some premises at intersections that have been recovered and can be started together with the BOT project to expand National Highway 13.

Reported by Minh Duy-Translated by Kim Tin