Despite having capital for implementation, some major transport projects in southern Vietnam are moving slowly, mainly resulting from site clearance problems.
Despite having capital for implementation, some major transport projects in southern Vietnam are moving slowly, mainly resulting from site clearance problems.
The National Highway 14 expansion project is among projects falling far behind schedule and has greatly affected people living along the highway.
Speaking to the Daily, Nguyen Van Huan, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh Road management board, said that due to the urgency of the project, the Government has advanced funds from next year’s government bond sale scheme to finance the project. Some parts of the highway will be completed next year and the rest will be finished in 2014, he added.
According to Huan, the budget and government bonds are only sufficient to upgrade 242 kilometers of National Highway 14 in the Central Highlands, and 218 kilometers will be conducted under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format with five sub-projects. However, the implementation progress is very slow as investors of these sub-projects fail to borrow loans.
Regarding the National Highway 20 upgrade project to serve transport of bauxite, Tran Viet Bong, deputy director of the Management Board No. 7, said that despite being kicked off last December, the project was moving slowly due to problems in site clearance.
The board will start work on three packages in Dinh Quan, Tan Phu and Phuong Lam in Dong Nai Province in the coming time.
According to Bong, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang set a target of finishing the project in 2014. However, the project is encountering many difficulties, especially in clearing sites in residential areas.
Truong Huu Hiep, director of the Department of Transport in Lam Dong Province, said that Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (TKV) has only allocated over VND40 billion among a total of VND178 billion needed for the upgrade of Provincial Road 725, a road which transports bauxite from the Tan Rai alumina plant to National Highway 20.
(Source: SGT)
