Lesson 1: Bloodline

(Baonghean) - The project to upgrade and expand National Highway 1A is a national key project, of great significance to the people's livelihood, meeting the country's development towards modern industry and increasing traffic demand. For Nghe An province in particular, the upgrading and expansion of National Highway 1A plays an important role in promoting socio-economic development, attracting investment, and creating a premise for effective implementation of Resolution 26 of the Politburo. Therefore, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee have mobilized the entire political system and the people to participate and have a very high determination in clearing the land to implement the project on schedule. However, currently, the site clearance work is facing many difficulties and obstacles that need to be resolved...

Connecting two parts of the country

Throughout history, National Highway 1A has always held an important position for Vietnam. Since the time Vietnam was divided into Dang Trong and Dang Ngoai, National Highway 1A was formed in sections parallel to the waterway for the Tay Son army led by Nguyen Hue from Quy Nhon to advance to the South and defeat tens of thousands of Siamese troops in Rach Gam - Xoai Mut. Then from Phu Xuan, Quang Trung Nguyen Hue followed the cross-Vietnam waterway and land axis, marched rapidly to the North and defeated 200,000 Qing troops, then this road was officially formed, appearing along the magical curve of the sacred S-shape. However, it was not until the Nguyen Dynasty after the country was unified that National Highway 1A was renovated and completed into the "Cai Quan" road from North to South. During the French colonial period, they expanded and upgraded National Highway 1A and built a trans-Vietnam railway to facilitate the implementation of colonial rule and exploitation policies...

Upgrading National Highway 1A, Vinh bypass section Photo: Sy Minh

During the resistance war against the US, National Highway 1A contributed decisively to the historic victory of our nation. When the country was reunited, the first major task of the Transport sector was to restore the Thong Nhat railway line, open and upgrade National Highway 1A...

During the renovation period, our government renovated National Highway 1A passing through Huu Nghi Border Gate (Lang Son) to Nam Can District (Ca Mau) with a total length of 2,300 km and a scale of 2 lanes. This is the most important route in Vietnam, passing through 31 provinces and cities, connecting 4 major cities: Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho, so National Highway 1 is also known as the Trans-Vietnam Highway or the arterial road. In addition, the Government also invested in the second phase of the construction of Ho Chi Minh Road and built some road sections on the North-South Expressway, located very close to National Highway 1A, also with the purpose of connecting the North and the South.

The need to upgrade and expand

Currently, the trans-Vietnam axis has not met the requirements of the period of accelerating industrialization and modernization of the country, especially for roads. Specifically: the Ho Chi Minh road has limited appeal due to its incompleteness (landslides during the rainy season) and low socio-economic development along the route; the North-South expressway will not be basically completed until 2030, so the traffic volume of the North-South road route is concentrated on National Highway 1A. Meanwhile, this route is currently too narrow compared to actual requirements, especially it has been seriously degraded in many places, causing overload, posing many dangers of traffic accidents, and often causing prolonged congestion, hindering socio-economic development. The selection of the National Highway 1A expansion project - the North-South arterial road - has become an urgent issue to implement the breakthrough strategy of developing synchronous transport infrastructure to serve the requirements of industrialization and modernization of the country, contributing to socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security as well as economic, cultural and social connection and exchange between the North and South.

Traffic jam on National Highway 1A through Yen Ly intersection (Dien Yen, Dien Chau)

Therefore, in the context that the basic construction sector is facing many difficulties and challenges, in addition to the State Budget (NSNN) and Government Bonds (TPCP), the Government allows the Ministry of Transport to call for investment, mainly in the form of BOT (build - operate - transfer) to implement the project to expand National Highway 1A from 2 lanes to 4 lanes from Hanoi to Can Tho. The entire route is divided into 40 projects and sub-projects. Of which, investment in the form of BOT includes 18 projects, 608 km long, with a total investment of 50,624 billion VND; Investment using the State Budget - TPCP capital includes 21 projects, sub-projects with a length of 696 km, with a total investment of 46,233 billion VND; investment using ADB loan capital includes 1 project, 49 km long, with a total investment of 4,368 billion VND. Of which, the total budget for site clearance of National Highway 1A is 7,350 billion VND. Expected to be completed in 2016.

Traffic jam on National Highway 1A through Yen Ly intersection (Dien Yen, Dien Chau)

One of the key steps determining the progress of the National Highway 1A expansion project is site clearance. Recognizing the importance and large scale of the project in terms of investment value, level of influence, and socio-economic and development significance, the Government has decided to establish a Site Clearance Steering Committee. This is also the first project to establish a Site Clearance Steering Committee from the central to the grassroots level, including the district level. The Central Steering Committee is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The Government has assigned the People's Committees of localities where the route passes through to focus on leading and directing the site clearance work for the section of the national highway passing through their localities. The Government's guiding spirit is that all levels, all sectors, political and social organizations and each citizen need to consider this as the top priority task.

In Nghe An alone, the project to upgrade National Highway 1A passing through the area has a total main route length of 73.8 km through Hoang Mai Town (14 km), Quynh Luu District (12.25 km), Dien Chau (28.05 km), Nghi Loc (13.96 km) and Vinh City (5.54 km) divided into 6 projects and assigned to 5 investors for construction. In which, the joint venture of Traffic Construction Corporation 4 and 319 is the investor of the section passing through Hoang Mai Town and Quynh Luu, 19.83 km long; PMU 85 is the investor of the section passing through Cau Giat Town, Quynh Luu District, 4.67 km long; PMU 1 is the investor of the section passing through Quynh Luu and Dien Chau districts, 18.9 km long; Nghe An Department of Transport is the investor of the 23.4 km Dien Chau - Quan Hanh section and the 5.9 km Quan Hanh - Quan Banh section passing through Dien Chau, Nghi Loc districts and Vinh City; Traffic Safety Project Management Board - Ministry of Transport is the investor of the 1.1 km railway overpass project passing through Vinh City. Like the whole country, for our province, the completion of the project is of great significance in expanding trade, developing the economy and society, attracting investment, creating a premise for effectively implementing Resolution 26 on Nghe An of the Politburo. At the same time, it contributes to reducing traffic accidents - which has always been a hot issue in the province with many catastrophic accidents occurring on National Highway 1A. One of the main causes is due to narrow, overloaded and degraded roads, while daily traffic is too crowded.

Due to the narrow road, many accidents occur on National Highway 1A.

To implement the Project to upgrade and expand National Highway 1A, many households along both sides of the road (in Hoang Mai Town, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Vinh City) are subject to clearance, affected or resettled for the national interest with a total cost of more than 1 trillion VND. Clearly defining the role of site clearance for the project's progress, after issuing Decision No. 04/2010/QD/QD-UBND dated January 19, 2010 on compensation, support and resettlement when the State reclaims land in Nghe An province. On November 25, 2010, the Provincial People's Committee continued to issue Official Dispatch No. 7418/UBND-CN agreeing on compensation and support when the State reclaims land to implement the Project to Upgrade and Expand National Highway 1A through Nghe An province. Regarding resettlement, it is implemented according to Decision No. 10/2012/QD-UBND dated February 4, 2012 on amending and supplementing a number of provisions on compensation, support and resettlement when the State acquires land in Nghe An province, issued together with Decision 04. The province's guiding viewpoint is that sectors, levels and localities must uphold their sense of responsibility, proactively advise on the application of appropriate policies, ensure the principles of publicity, democracy, transparency, fairness and compliance with the law to create consensus in the site clearance work on National Highway 1A through Nghe An province.

Prime Minister's decision to attract investment capital to upgrade and expand National Highway 1A

Article and photos:Reporter team