A ground-breaking ceremony of a road and bridge project spanning over the Hương River takes place in Huế City. Photo courtesy of Xuân Hiếu

THỪA THIÊN HUẾ — The central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế has begun construction of a road and bridge project spanning the Hương River costing VNĐ2.28 trillion  (US$91.2 million).

The project, which includes a six-lane 380m river cross bridge for cars, motorbikes and pedestrians as well as a 1.08km link road, will help create smooth traffic routes through Kim Long, Bùi Thị Xuân, Nguyễn Hoàng when it is completed after 2025.

It’s also preparation of key infrastructure project to help the province develop as a central government-managed urban region in the coming years.

Authorities of Thừa Thiên-Huế are cooperating with local software giant FPT Group, Facebook, GIZ and WWF-Viet Nam, to turn Huế City into a ‘smart’, a low carbon and a ‘zero plastic waste’ urban area in the near future.

The province also launched the first domestic container route at Chân Mây Port connecting with Hải Phòng and HCM City.

The container route, which was jointly developed by Chân Mây port and Hải An transport companies, will be operating with two trips per week with the first 1,577 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) Hải An View container ship docking at the port last week.

The port authorities said it could handle 70,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) cargo ships and a 200,000 DWT transhipment area.

It would improve the capacity with bonded warehouses and depot container freight station in shipping more cargo from Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Laos, northeast of Thailand and the Chân Mây-Lăng Cô Economic Zone.

A container ship docks at Chân Mây Port in Thừa Thiên Huế Province. It's the first container route connecting with Huế, Hải Phòng and HCM City. Photo courtesy of Phan Ngọc Minh

The province previously began construction on a 300m long breakwater at Chân Mây Port to allow easy access for 70,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) cargo ships; 4,000TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) container ships, and 225,000GT (gross tonnage) cruise ships.

Currently, Chân Mây Port hosts from 4 million to 4.5 million tonnes of cargo annually, but it will increase to 5 million or 6 million tonnes of commodities by 2025.

Earlier this year, Aeon Mall Việt Nam said it planned to build its first trading centre, Aeon Mall Huế, with an investment of $170 million in An Vân Dương new urban area. — VNS