Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has requested the northern province of Sơn La’s People Committee submit a pre-feasibility study for the Hòa Bình-Mộc Châu Expressway project to the Prime Minister for approval.— Photo zing.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has requested the northern province of Sơn La’s People Committee submit a pre-feasibility study for the Hòa Bình-Mộc Châu Expressway project to the Prime Minister for approval.

The People’s Committee was asked to work with the Ministry of Planning and Investment on the project to guarantee national security and defence of the northwestern region.

Dũng asked the Ministry of Transport to submit a report on the investment and transport infrastructure development plan of the region, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was requested to clarify the impact of taking cultivation and protected forest land for the project as well as risk of flash floods or landslide due to the project’s construction.

The northwestern region consists of 12 mountainous and midland localities including Yên Bái, Lào Cai, Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Sơn La, Hà Giang and Hòa Bình. According to Dũng, it plays an important role in the nation’s socio-economic development as well as national security.

It is the most disadvantaged area compared with other regions and has the highest rate of poor households.

The biggest challenges for the region include poor transport infrastructure and a lack of basic foundations for the development of railway and air travel. Given the current situation, Dũng said the development of road transport infrastructure was the most suitable option.

The Expressway will have four lanes and a total length of 85km. Total investment for the project was estimated at more than VNĐ20 trillion (US$862 million) under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

It will allow vehicles to travel at 80-100km per hour, shortening the travel time from Hà Nội to Sơn La to about 2.5 hours from six.

The high-quality road system will link two tourism hubs of the region. It is also expected to ease congestion on National Highway 6 through Hòa Bình and Sơn La while contributing to socio-economic development in the two provinces. — VNS