Quang Ninh province accelerates key transport projects

Thanks to the good containment of COVID-19, the northern province of Quang Ninh is speeding up three key transport projects expected to substantially contribute to local economic growth and regional connectivity.

Thanks to the good containment of COVID-19, the northern province of Quang Ninh is speeding up three key transport projects expected to substantially contribute to local economic growth and regional connectivity.

Cua Luc 1 Bridge, the coastal road linking Ha Long and Cam Pha cities, and Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway are currently under construction and scheduled to be put into use by the end of this year.

Once operational, they are hoped to help complete the expressway system in the northern region, serve as a gateway connecting northern localities of Vietnam with ASEAN countries and China, and create an impulse for regional connectivity.

Invested with over 2.1 trillion VND, Cua Luc 1 Bridge in Ha Long city has its construction started in April 2021, after Hoanh Bo district was merged into Ha Long. The six-lane bridge, which is 4,265 metres long, is hoped to help fuel development in the west of the city and facilitate transport.

Its investor said about 80 percent of the workload has been completed, expecting this project to be finished in this November, one month ahead of schedule.

Nguyen Duc Phuong, Deputy Director of the project management board, said to keep the construction unaffected by COVID-19, workers have been constantly asked to comply with the 5K principle (khau trang - wearing facemasks, khu khuan - disinfection, khoang cach - keeping distance, khong tu tap - no gathering, and khai bao y te - making health declaration) and the pandemic safety regulations issued by provincial authorities. All of them have also received RT-PCR tests frequently.

Nearly 400 supervisors and workers are divided into four teams to work in three shifts so that Cua Luc 1 Bridge can be completed by the end of this year as planned, he noted.

Meanwhile, about 80 percent of the workload of the Ha Long - Cam Pha coastal road has also finished.

There are always more than 200 builders on the construction site. Personnel from other projects have also been mobilised while construction is carried out continuously in three shifts to ensure the project progress. Supervisors and workers are also requested to stay at the site and not go outside, Managing Director of the project’s tunnel section Nguyen Duy Song said, adding that building the tunnel is the most difficult task since they have to bore into mountain and deal with complex terrain.

Covering the total length of nearly 80 kilometres, the four-lane Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway runs through Van Don, Tien Yen, Dam Ha, and Hai Ha districts and Mong Cai city.

Do Duc Binh, head commander of the Bridge 75 Company, noted to ensure both construction progress and pandemic prevention, the firm has divided workers into teams and designed an appropriate building schedule while reminding its personnel to keep hygiene.

Despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rainy season, complex terrain, and the shortage of workers and materials, investors and contractors pledged to address difficulties to accelerate progress and complete of these projects soon.

Chairman of the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tuong Van said since the year’s beginning, the administration has asked for faster implementation of the three strategic infrastructure projects, which will help develop a uniform and modern transport infrastructure system and also serve as outstanding works with high architectural value of Quang Ninh.

On September 2, the province launched a 100-day emulation campaign to speed up the three projects.

It asked investors and contractors to maximise personnel and equipment resources to guarantee both construction progress and quality. It also told authorities of Ha Long, Cam Pha, Van Don, Tien Yen, Dam Ha, Hai Ha, and Mong Cai to step up site clearance, coordinate in removing obstacles to project implementation, and provide the best possible conditions for these projects.

During the campaign, the provincial administration will also offer timely rewards and encouragement to the collectives and individuals with prominent performance and useful initiatives for the projects.