The ministry reported at a meeting in Hanoi on December 11 that it has instructed the project’s management board to promptly complete bidding documents.
Regarding land clearance for the construction of the Eastern section of the project, the MoT has sent documents to localities which the sub-projects run through to inform them about the estimated area for the construction.
Seven out of 11 land clearance councils have been established to serve the sub-projects, it added.
Concluding the working session, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung highlighted the significance of the North-South expressway project to national socio-economic development.
Once operational, the project will help reduce travelling time and costs as it forms an uninterrupted transport network, while contributing to tourism and trade development in those localities, he said.
It will also connect major cities, economic centers, and zones with seaports, international airports, industrial parks, and coastal economic areas, the official added.
The Deputy PM emphasized the need to swiftly complete the project’s technical designs and land clearance as scheduled.
He asked the MoT to propose specific measures to ensure the supply of construction materials for the project and report them to the Government and the Prime Minister for approval.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Construction was asked to review and adjust the cost of project management and consultation in January 2019 in line with legal regulations.
The North-South Expressway has a total length of over 2,100km, traversing 32 provinces and cities. The project is divided into three phases.
During 2017-2020, more than 650km of the road running through 13 provinces and cities will be built. There are 11 sub-projects in this period.
From 2021-2025, the sections of Bai Vot (Ha Tinh province)-Cam Lo (Quang Tri province) and Quang Ngai province-Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province) will be constructed. Meanwhile, the section from La Son (Thua Thien-Hue province) to Tuy Loan (Da Nang city) will be upgraded from two lanes to four lanes.
The section from Can Tho city to Ca Mau city of Ca Mau province will be built and put into operation after 2025.
Total investment for the project during 2017-2020 will be VND 118.7 trillion (USD 5.2 billion), including VND 55 trillion (USD 2.4 billion) from the Government and the remainder raised from investors through the public-private partnership model.
Source: VNA