A section of National Road No 14E in Quảng Nam Province. The Ministry of Transport plans to upgrade and expand the road in 2018-20. — Photo courtesy Quảng Nam Portal |
QUẢNG NAM — The Ministry of Transport has approved a project to upgrade National Highway No 14E in the central province with total investment of VNĐ1.4 trillion (US$62 million) in 2018-20.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Đinh Văn Thu, said the province has asked the ministry to upgrade the sub-standard highway to improve transport connectivity of the coastal road system and the Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Expressway as well as mountainous areas.
Thu said the 90km-long road, which connects the nearly completed Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Expressway, National Highway No 1, the Hồ Chí Minh Trail and large areas in mountainous districts, has deteriorated as it was designed for rural traffic with one lane in 2002.
According to the ministry, the road will be expanded into two lanes and upgraded to standards matching national roads.
The province plans to upgrade 15 key road projects with total investment of VNĐ232 billion ($9.9 million), of which nearly $9 million will be funded by the World Bank, in the 2018-20 period.
The ministry also approved eight flyover bridges in flood-affected areas in Quảng Nam Province in 2017.
Last year, the province, in co-operation with Trường Hải company, commenced construction of a railway flyover at one of the busiest crossroads on National Highway No 1A, in Núi Thành District, and a road linking Chu Lai Port to Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Expressway with total investment of $26.5 million.
The central province will also benefit from the operation of the 140km Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Expressway project next month as a 65km section of the expressway runs through an area of Quảng Nam.
The expressway will help reduce travel time from Đà Nẵng, through Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi, from three hours to 90 minutes. — VNS