Ashui.com

Vietnam celebrated New Year’s Day by simultaneously launching work on 12 components of the second phase of the big-ticket North-South expressway project.

The groundbreaking ceremonies for these components were held in different locations in the country, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attending the groundbreaking ceremony in the central coast province of Quang Ngai.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony in the central coast province of Quang Ngai (Photo: VGP)

The 12 components have a total length of 723.7 km, of which the Ha Tinh-Quang Tri section is 260.9 km, Quang Ngai-Nha Trang 352.1 km and Can Tho-Ca Mau 110.9 km. Their total cost is estimated at nearly VND147 trillion (US$6.23 billion).

PM Chinh told ministries, agencies and authorities of 32 provinces through which the expressway will pass to work closely with the Transport Ministry to deal with any issues arising in the construction process.

The implementation of the 12 components will help boost public investment disbursement.

Traffic infrastructure projects make up a major proportion of public investments, the PM said. Therefore, the Government last year organized multiple national conferences to find ways to step up the pace of public investment disbursement which was woefully slow.

Data showed that by the end of 2022, VND435.7 trillion in public investment was disbursed, increasing 22% against 2021 when the fourth wave of Covid-19 led the economy to grind to a standstill, but representing 75.11% of the 2022 plan.

(The Saigon Times)