La Son - Tuy Loan expressway is about to be put into use, paving the way for goods from La Son, Phu Bai, and Phu Da industrial zones to flow smoothly.
Not to miss the chance
At the end of 2019, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) was interested in coordinating with Thua Thien Hue province to invest in the Terminal T2 project at Phu Bai International Airport with a total capital of 2,250 billion VND (from ACV's Development Investment Fund). The project includes items, passenger terminal, fence system, roads, expanding aircraft parking lots meeting eight aircraft parking positions, car park, and ancillary items, etc. It is expected that at the end of 2022, this project will come into service.
Having an interview with Mr. Nguyen Duc Tien, Director of Phu Bai International Airport recently, Phu Bai airport is not only a significant location for traffic connection but also the stature of the largest airport in the Central region. This opens opportunities for a series of other economic sectors in the area to develop together, such as industry, services, logistics, tourism, and urban development.
Expanding the Provincial Road 28 connecting Phu My - Thuan An roads
There are many projects of the central government that have been implemented in the area, such as Hai Van 2 tunnel, having just been completed with a cost of more than 7,296 billion VND, and La Son - Tuy Loan and Cam Lo - La Son Expressways being speeding up the inter-regional connection construction. Besides, Thua Thien Hue has recently decided to establish three more industrial zones, including Phu Bai Industrial Park (Huong Thuy) stage IV, phase 1 with an area of about 85.87 ha, invested by Industrial Zone Infrastructure Investment and Development Limited Company with a budget of more than 127 billion VND.
The Gilimex Industrial Park is a part of Phu Bai Industrial Park (Huong Thuy), with an area of more than 460ha. Particularly, Gilimex Industrial Park Joint Stock Company is an infrastructure investor with a capital of about 2,614 billion VND; and, Tu Ha Industrial Park phase 1 (Huong Tra) belongs to Tu Ha Industrial Park with an area of about 37.6 hectares, invested by Vietnam International Hello Joint Stock Company with a capital of about 210 billion VND.
As a result of a series of infrastructure projects and industrial parks that have been built, in the coming years, the growth momentum of the province will be increased when investors pour in capital to take advantage of the infrastructure system. Since when a locality that has both an airport and a seaport, with an abundant labor force, it will possibly attract many corporations and businesses to invest capital.
Quality going along with quantity
With great development momentum in the coming time, one of the urgent requirements for Thua Thien Hue is to quickly improve the intra-provincial transport network, especially the artery roads to the industrial zones, so as not to miss the opportunities. The modern and synchronous intra-provincial transport system not only helps Thua Thien Hue seize development opportunities but also contributes to the ‘resonance’ in increasing the development momentum.
Monitoring the road surface to prepare for the of asphalt covers on Cam Lo - La Son highway going through Hue city
However, before the development opportunity, the local transport system has not yet met the actual requirements. Many provincial roads to industrial zones in the area currently have created "congestion" in travel and goods circulation. For example, despite the daily heavy traffic volume, with only a length of more than 10km, connecting Hue city with Phu Da Industrial Park (Phu Vang), the provincial road 10 is narrow and degraded.
Similarly, the provincial road 16 passing Huong Xuan, Huong Van, and Tu Ha areas connecting Binh Dien hill with Tu Ha Industrial Park (Huong Tra Town), with a length of 20km, has long been dubbed the "suffering road" because of the deterioration being full of "potholes," "elephant holes." The provincial road 9 passing through Phong Xuan commune, Phong An, and Phong Dien town connecting with Phong Dien Industrial Park (Phong Dien) is also seriously degraded.
The representative of the Department of Transport said that based on the reality, the department had considered to submit the proposal to invest and expand the existing roads to have a basis to meet the development of transport infrastructure of the whole province in the future. This is a field that the 16th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, determined to create a breakthrough in socio-economic development.
Recently, the Provincial People's Council has approved the agreement on the scale of investment in many transport projects in the period 2021-2025, such as investing in extending To Huu road fromHue City center to Phu Bai airport with a length of 7km with a budget of more than 751 billion VND, or expanding and upgrading the provincial road 16 through Huong Tra area with a length of 20km, with more than 396 billion VND.
Some other roads are also invested, such as expanding the provincial road no.15 from Hue's bypass to Phu Bai Industrial Park, having a length of nearly 2km, with an investment of more than 100 billion VND; the road from the non-tariff zone to Chan May port area being nearly 2km long with a cost of 150 billion VND; and Ring Road 3 in the west of Hue city with a length of 4.7km, phase 1 with the investment of 200 billion VND.
In addition, the province is focusing on investing in coastal roads with a length of 100km from Phong Dien to Phu Loc in phase 1 with a capital of about 2,400 billion VND. In addition, the Department of Transport also proposed the Provincial People's Committee to invest in upgrading roads such as the provincial road 12, Thuan Hoa road (in Huong Thuy) with the length of 3.4km, connecting with Phu Da Industrial Park (Phu Vang), etc.
The current problem is the investment capital for the above transport projects. Among these, there are many projects that have to be invested with thousands of billions of VND, which is what the leaders of the departments and the people are concerned. However, with a specific mechanism to bring Thua Thien Hue into a city directly under the Central Government by 2025, which the Government has just approved, it is an opportunity for the locality to have good mechanisms and policies to create a driving force for comprehensive development in all fields; which will mobilize resources to "pave the way" to connect with the future.
Story and Photos: MINH VAN