Determining that traffic must be one step ahead to create a foundation and a driving force for economic development and increased investment, Soc Trang province always gives top priority to investment in developing a connected transport infrastructure system in important places.
The Department of Transport of Soc Trang province cooperated closely with the Ministry of Transport to launch investment to complete and put into use National Road No. 1, a bypass road for Soc Trang City, five bridges on National Highway 61B and Soc Trang River Port; prepared to restore and upgrade Quan Lo Phung Hiep Highway, and a section of National Highway 1 from Chau Thanh district to Hau Giang province. As for projects upgrading and expanding National Highway 60, National Highway 61B and Nam Song Hau National Highway, the department advised the Soc Trang Provincial People's Committee to work with the Ministry of Transport to include these projects into the medium-term public investment portfolio in 2021-2025 when the Government managed to balance the investment fund. As for the Dai Ngai Bridge investment project on National Highway 60, the Ministry of Transport approved of converting the investment form from BOT to Japanese-funded ODA.
Soc Trang province also invested some important projects to link coastal and riverside districts and low-lying districts with Soc Trang City, and connect to national highways to facilitate local socioeconomic development. Notably, Provincial Road 940 is a typical investment project (connecting Quan Lo Phung Hiep National Highway, National Highway 1 and Nam Song Hau National Highway). The province also put into operation a traffic route that links the mainland with islands (Tran De - Con Dao). Soc Trang has also constructed dykes to prevent saline intrusion and roads for national defense and security, rescue seagoing boats in Tran De district, the economic development axis from Soc Trang City via Du Tho Bridge to the Soc Trang shrimp - rice economic zone.
Together with the urbanization process, the local urban transport system has also been gradually invested. Particularly, the province completed trunk roads, ensured traffic convenience and safety. District and communal roads have been invested to be linked to national and provincial roads to form a continuous traffic network and connect far-lying and remote rural areas with urban centers.
Inland waterways have been dredged to improve the inland waterway transport capacity to meet demand for heavy transport, thus contributing to a reasonable restructuring of the transport sector and utilizing advantages of each mode of transport. At the same time, this has helped reduce transport costs and improve transport performance and services.
To further carry out consistent solutions to transport infrastructure development and boost local socioeconomic development, the Department of Transport advised the Provincial People's Committee to propose the Ministry of Transport to work with relevant central authorities to soon complete and submit to the Prime Minister to add Tran De Port plan to the Vietnam seaport system development plan to 2020, with an eye to 2030, and consider investing in Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway to connect international border gates, deep-water sea ports and economic centers in the region.
Mr. Tran Quoc Thong, Director of the Soc Trang Department of Transport, said that current traffic routes in Soc Trang province have been invested for construction by the Ministry of Transport and they are in good service. However, National Highway 60 has not yet been connected with other national highways like National Highway 61B and Quan Lo Phung Hiep National Highway, resulting in its underperformance. “In order to bring National Highway 60 into full play to well ensure local transport capacity and contribute to the socioeconomic development of Soc Trang province and neighboring provinces, the Ministry of Transport should soon start extending and upgrading National Highway 60 to link to National Highway 61B and Quan Lo Phung Hiep National Highway,” he recommended.
The 80-km coastal road running through Soc Trang province, consisting of the 24-km section 1 (Rach Mu U - Rach Ngay) being invested, the 35-km section 2 (Nam Song Hau National Highway) and the 19.5-km coastal road section has been invested. To help complete the national coastal road as approved, Mr. Thong proposed that the Ministry of Transport consider and plan to invest in remaining routes and assist Soc Trang province to prevent natural disasters and boost economic development, marine tourism together with national defense and security.
By Cong Tin, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi