PM green lights highway expansion

A view of how National Highway 1A will look after being expanded according to plan. - VNSPhoto

NGHE AN (VNS)- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung gave the go-ahead for the expansion of National Highway 1A in the central province of Nghe An at a ceremony yesterday.

The 34km section connecting Nghi Son in nearby Thanh Hoa Province and Cau Giat in Nghe An will be built under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model by the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No. 4 (Ministry of Transport) and the 319 Corporation (Ministry of Defence).

The partnership will invest more than VND3.6 trillion (around US$180 million) in the project.

Considered the most important highway in Viet Nam,National Highway 1A runs through half of the provinces and cities in the country, linking Ha Noi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho.

Addressing the ground breaking ceremony, Dung praised the efforts made by both contractors and provinces.

He also asked relevant ministries and localities through which the road runs to help implement the project.

Last Sunday, another project to expand a section of the highway in the central province of Quang Nam also commenced. The 40km section will be expanded with investment of over VND1.6 trillion ($80 million).

On the same day, Dung went to supervise the construction of National Highway 1A on the southern side of Ben Thuy 2 Bridge, which connects the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh.

Dung also paid a floral tribute to thirteen local volunteers who lost their lives while working to deactivate explosives left from the war in Truong Bon, My Son Commune in Do Luong District, Nghe An. - VNS