Dong Nai Province is setting up planning for a 21,000-hectare urban service area surrounding Long Thanh International Airport to secure comprehensive infrastructure development in the area.
Dong Nai Province is setting up planning for a 21,000-hectare urban service area surrounding Long Thanh International Airport to secure comprehensive infrastructure development in the area.
Speaking to the Daily during a news briefing on Tuesday, Dinh Quoc Thai, chairman of the province, said that the scheme is now underway. It will be late if the province develops the service urban area after the airport project is approved, he said.
Local authorities expect to commence work on the project in 2015. However, Thai did not disclose specific invested capital for the project.
The Ministry of Transport and local government announced the airport project in 2011. It covers a total area of 5,000 hectares in six communes in Long Thanh District.
Local government has suggested the Government to arrange capital for site clearance and resettlement area construction for around 5,000 families. About 3,000 of these households will have to leave to make room for construction.
The resettlement project is expected to kick start in mid 2014 on a total area of 500 hectares. With total investment of VND7 trillion, the project will serve accommodation of 10,000 residents affected by the project, Thai said.
During an online conference with the Government last week, authorities of HCMC and Dong Nai Province urged early construction of Long Thanh airport to reduce pressure on Tan Son Nhat International Airport and speed up economic development in Dong Nai Province.
Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang said that the ministry is drawing up a feasibility study for the project so the Government will submit it to the Government in May. Work is expected to start on the airport project in late 2015 or early 2016.
According to a report of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) in July, the Government would raise funds from various sources for the project. In the first phase from 2014 to 2020, at least US$5.6 billion is needed, of which State and official development assistance capital will make up around 53%.
ACV said that it will take around 10 years to approve, prepare for design, arrange capital, clear up the site and build an international airport. Therefore, the project should have begun now so the first stage with the capacity of 25 million passengers a year will be completed in 2020 to share the burden with Tan Son Nhat.
(Source:SGT)
