The La Sơn-Túy Loan highway that links the central provinces of Thừa Thiên-Huế and Đà Nẵng is expected to open by the end of this year as land clearance work has been completed.— Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI – The La Sơn-Túy Loan highway that links the central provinces of Thừa Thiên-Huế and Đà Nẵng is expected to open by the end of this year as land clearance work has been completed.

The La Sơn-Túy Loan Highway project kicked off in December 2013 with investment totalling about VNĐ 11.5 trillion (US$ 515.66 million) .Construction work stretches 77 kilometres, beginning in La Sơn Town, Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên – Huế province, and ending at the intersection with the Đà Nẵng – Quảng Ngãi Highway in Túy Loan Town, Đà Nẵng City.

By the end of last month, land clearance work was completed, making land available for road construction.

Previously, the work was stalled when many families in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province’s Nam Đông District, where the road was designed to run through, refused to move or accept compensation.

Local authorities and the project management board visited protesters to persuade them to move out.

Chairwoman of Nam Đông District People’s Committee Lê Thị Thu Hương said that all families living in affected areas agreed to move by March 31.

She asked the  project management board to build additional feeder roads, so that local residents can reach their residential areas and fields more easily.

Vice head of the road project management board, Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, said that the coming dry season would bring good working conditions for constructors to speed up work on the road. He also said that the work could be completed this year and the road opened next year.

La Sơn-Túy Loan Highway will form part of Hồ Chí Minh Highway which is 3,183km long, and runs through 28 provinces and cities. The highway starts in northern Cao Bằng Province and ends in the southernmost province of Cà Mau.

The HCM Highway Master Plan was approved by Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng in 2007. — VNS