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Expressways to spur development
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently approved a VND350 trillion (US$18.4 billion) plan to build a network of expressways by 2020.
Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard in HCM City. A network of expressways across the nation, to be built by 2020, will play a vital role in the country's industrialisation and modernisation.
A total of 5,800km of expressway, 3,300km of which running north-south and having four to eight lanes, will be built.
The plan also includes seven expressways totalling 1,100km in the north, three 300km expressways in the central and Central Highland regions, and seven 1000km expressways in the south.
"With such investment, Viet Nam could quickly build important expressway axes to pave the way for national industrial-isation and moderni-sation," said Pham Huu Son, General Director of the Transport Engineering Design Incorporated (TEDI).
"There's a famous Chinese saying: ‘To get rich, build roads first. To get rich quickly, build expressways," Son said.
Economists say expressways reduce transportation time and therefore costs.
Prof Pham Huy Khang, from the University of Transport and Communications, said expressways also meant less traffic congestion, less pollution and fuel savings, which benefits the environment.
Expressways, however, remain elusive in Viet Nam.
All ten people chosen at random interviews by a Viet Nam News reporter, said the country had a network of expressways.
However, Khang, dean of the Highways and Airdrome department, said expressways were not just wide roads designed for fast driving.
Expressways, as recognised internationally, must have no intersections or sharp bends and must have green belts (Or trees) on both sides to limit noise pollution. They must also have multiple lanes and hard shoulders, and be built solely for cars and lorries (Not motorbikes), he said.
Expressways must also have a special type of road bed and special signal systems.
"Viet Nam has no expressways as such that meet that definition," Khang said.
Only the HCM-Trung Luong Expressway in the south, which opened last February, and the Lang-Hoa Lac Expressway in the north came close to meeting international standards, he said.
The Government stated that expressways must be of two kinds. Class A almost reach international standards but can be used by motorbikes and non-motorised vehicles. Class B roads are much the same as Class A but will have some intersections.
Work began this year on 20 expressway projects with a total length of 1,400km, Khang said.
Meanwhile, construction began last year on the HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay, the Ha Noi-Thai Nguyen and the Trung Luong-My Thuan expressways, according to the Viet Nam Expressway Corporation.
Work will also begin this year on a number of other projects, including the Ben Luc-Long Thanh (Long An Province to Dong Nai Province) and the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressways.
"The figure is nothing in comparison to other countries in the region," he said.
China builds between 5,000km-6,000km of expressway a year, on top of the 70,000km already in place, Son said.
Khang also praised the expressway system in Thailand, saying that Viet Nam would need at least a decade to catch up.
"Of course there is a different approach here. China and Thailand have focused on the most important areas, Viet Nam has spent money on every corner of the country, building roads in remote communes and villages," he said.
Difficulties
Khang also pointed out that expressways were expensive. To build one kilometre of road typically costs $1 million at most, while a kilometre of expressway costs between $4-6 million.
One kilometre of the planned Ha Noi – Hai Phong Expressway was even projected to cost as much as $20 million.
Under the 10-year scheme, each year's budget is expected to be about VND29 trillion (More than $1.5 billion).
"This amount is really huge, so different sources must be mobilised," Son said.
To raise the funds, the State plans to adopt a number of schemes such as BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), BTO (Build-Transfer-Operate), PPP (Public-private partnership) and by issuing bonds.
Money will also be raised from the State budget and overseas development aid.
VietNamNet, VietNamNews
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