Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà chairs a meeting with the leaders of Tuyên Quang Province and several relevant ministries regarding the proposal to adjust the investment policy for the Tuyên Quang-Hà Giang Expressway Project (Phase 1), on Tuesday, September 24 in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – A key transportation route connecting two northern mountainous provinces of Tuyên Quang and Hà Giang will be expanded to be over four lanes.

The adjustment of the investment policy, scale and design of the Tuyên Quang-Hà Giang Expressway Project should be implemented urgently to ensure effectiveness, said Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà.

At a meeting yesterday with the leaders of Tuyên Quang Province and several relevant ministries regarding the proposal to adjust the investment policy for the Tuyên Quang-Hà Giang Expressway Project (Phase 1), Hà highlighted that the Prime Minister had consistently directed that the investment in expressways should ensure the full completion of four lanes to guarantee technical safety, economic efficiency, and investment effectiveness.

Additionally, the National Assembly has decided to allocate additional funding for the project, phase 1, from the increased revenue of the central government in 2023.

Therefore, the adjustment of the investment policy, scale, and design of the project needs to be done promptly to ensure its effectiveness, Hà said.

The deputy PM assigned the Government Office and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to co-ordinate with Tuyên Quang and Hà Giang provinces and several other relevant ministries to propose to the Prime Minister to issue directives and assign authority to the two provinces to adjust the investment policy and technical design for this expressway project, expanding the entire route to four lanes.

This includes the complete construction of the section from the junction with National Highway 37 to the junction with National Highway 3B (a 22km stretch), which will have four lanes.

At the same time, technical infrastructure such as local roads, underpasses and underground works in the two-lane sections should be adjusted to ensure synchronisation, minimising the need for demolition and reducing the additional construction volume when expanding to four lanes in phase 2.

"The adjustment of the investment policy and technical design of the Tuyên Quang-Hà Giang Expressway Project (Phase 1) will serve as a preliminary basis for balancing and allocating central and local funding for the project in Phase 2," the deputy PM told the meeting.

Regarding the project completion timeline, Hà requested that Tuyên Quang and Hà Giang provinces create a progress map, mobilise their available resources and work closely with contractors to achieve the set goals.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment was requested to consider and study the petition from Hà Giang Province and report to the National Assembly, allowing the province to apply special mechanisms and policies similar to those being implemented for the Tuyên Quang section of the project.

According to a previous report, the approved investment policy for the project, phase 1, includes the construction of a 77km section through Tuyên Quang Province, of which 69.7km will be newly built with two lanes and a design speed of 80km per hour. (In fact, land clearance is for four lanes).

The total investment was VNĐ6.8 trillion (US$276.6 million).

To date, Tuyên Quang Province has cleared 82 per cent of the land, corresponding to the full four-lane design and has completed over 12 per cent of the total construction volume for the entire route, aiming for project completion by the end of 2025.

However, to maximise the investment’s effectiveness and connect it with important roads that serve the local and regional economies, Tuyên Quang Province proposed adjusting the investment policy for the section through Tuyên Quang.

Specifically, the 22km section from the junction with National Highway 37 to the junction with National Highway 3B would be expanded to four lanes, with a design speed of 100km per hour while the remaining sections would continue to be implemented according to the approved project documentation.

Nguyễn Văn Sơn, chairman of the People’s Committee of Tuyên Quang Province, told the meeting that this plan would allow the province to immediately benefit from part of the project's investment when connecting with National Highways 37 and 3B, which have high traffic volumes.

Besides, it would ensure the timely completion of the entire Tuyên Quang-Hà Giang Expressway by the end of 2025, as directed by the Prime Minister, Sơn said.

During the meeting, the leaders of the ministries of Transport, Planning and Investment, Construction, and Finance highlighted the legal basis for adjusting the investment policy, the ability to balance funding, economic efficiency and technical design aiming at ensuring legal regulations, avoiding wasteful investment and complying with the Prime Minister’s instructions. VNS