TRAFFIC CONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT FOCUSING ON INTERREGIONAL CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS

Being aware that traffic connectivity will be a "launching pad" for Ninh Thuan province to make breakthrough development, Ninh Thuan Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Unit (PMU) has sped up construction progress to ensure scheduled completion of projects.

Proud journey

When it was split from former Thuan Hai, Ninh Thuan province only had National Highway 1A (present-day Thong Nhat Road), National Highway 27 and a few urban roads. Indeed, the infrastructure system, including transport infrastructure, was weak and seriously insufficient at that time. However, with many different investment sources, PMU managed, invested, built and operated many very important traffic works. Each project built at that time helped construct a relatively synchronous and interconnected transport system in the province, initially meeting the rising transportation demand, connecting its local transport system with the region and the whole country. Specially, in 2010 - 2015, the agency completed building a 105-km coastal road network, costing VND4,551 billion. This traffic route runs along the coast of the province and joins National Highway 1. This work helps strengthen national security, natural disaster prevention and tourism development and provides another option beside National Highway 1A for commodity transportation and distribution.

“After 30 years of construction and development, PMU has put into use many projects and works valued VND6,431.785 billion, including 633.270km of roads and 67 bridges with a total length of 4.84km, helping the province significantly increase the indicator of traffic density to the natural area: 0.456 km per km2, an increase of 0.286 km compared to 1992 (when the ratio was 0.17 km). Its achievements are built on the spirit of "unity and solidarity" of the local government, the masses and its employees. More noteworthily, in addition to the increasing volume and quality of traffic works, larger and more complicated projects are assigned to the unit. This also proves that the PMU has enough capacity and experience to undertake larger projects in the coming time," said Mr. Pham Minh Tan, Director of Ninh Thuan Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Unit.

Furthermore, during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, the board always upheld the working motto "traffic must go one step ahead" and will be the vital lifeblood to economic recovery. Therefore, in order keep up the progress, it actively assigned its employees to work from home to prevent epidemic contagion while complete all their tasks on time. If working on project site, they had to comply with the "three on the spot" principle (work on the spot, eat on the spot, rest on the spot) while ensuring absolute safety of employee health and completing keeping the epidemic at bay.

Great will, high determination

Currently, traffic planning and development in Ninh Thuan has revealed many limitations because the province has been slow to implement its projects for a long time while having unsynchronous public transport infrastructure. Before this reality, in 2021 - 2025, Ninh Thuan Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Unit will constantly study and propose 14 investment projects with a total investment fund of VND7,310 billion as approved by the Provincial People's Council. In general, in this period, although central and local budgets allocated for land traffic infrastructure development projects did not meet the demand for local socioeconomic development, chosen and prioritized investment projects mainly focused on key traffic interconnectivity projects in the province's southern key economic region, linked administrative coastal corridors with National Highway 1 and expressways to speed up the development of marine economy, urban economy and high-class tourism to attract investors for local socioeconomic development.

To have an enabling investment and business environment, PMU hoped that the province will focus on solving existing bottlenecks. Particularly, the unit will also actively identify key goals and tasks of traffic construction in 2020-2025. It will give priority to projects that connect regions, have strong ripple impacts and help speed up rapid socioeconomic development, including an interregional road from Tan Son town, Ninh Son district to Ta Nang intersection, Duc Trong district, Lam Dong province; a road that connects the North-South Expressway with National Highway 1 and Ca Na Seaport; Van Lam - Son Hai Road that links National Highway 1 with the coastal road system; and belt roads linked to National Highway 27, National Highway 1 and coastal roads.

In the current competitive environment, Ninh Thuan province is undergoing a strong transformation. Existing potential, available strengths and a well-invested synchronous transport system will be a solid foundation and leverage for Ninh Thuan to successfully implement socioeconomic development goals in the coming years. Accordingly, it will help turn the province into one of dynamically developing economies of the country. Therefore, the unit hopes to receive more support to realize its goals soon, confidently accompany the province in all circumstances, gradually improve the local transportation network to meet travelling demand of people, commodity transportation of producers and local socioeconomic development.

Source: VCCI