Speeding up the progress of Vinh - Cua Lo boulevard project after adjusting the scale

(Baonghean) - Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard is a key project serving the growth poles of the province. Currently, the project has been adjusted to a smaller scale than the original due to capital difficulties. After the adjustment, relevant departments, branches and localities are completing basic construction procedures, clearing the remaining sections of the project, ensuring completion on schedule.

Early site clearance marking

The Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard Project (approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 994/QD-UBND-CN dated March 3, 2010 and approved for adjustment on May 2, 2012) has a total investment of 4,157 billion VND from the State budget with a length of 10.8 km, according to urban main street standards. From 2012 to present, the project has allocated 563 billion VND to implement site clearance on the entire route and construct package No. 5, more than 3 km long through Cua Lo town. For many years, the construction of the route has been unfinished due to difficulties in site clearance, especially lack of capital.

Vinh - Cua Lo Avenue has completed 3.5km of construction through Cua Lo Town. Photo: Thu Huyen

After a long construction period, recently with the Government only allocating 1,100 billion VND from the medium-term capital source, the Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard Project was also forced to adjust its scale compared to the original. Therefore, the Provincial People's Committee met and agreed on a plan to adjust the roadbed scale from 160m to 95m; the total investment is 2,924 billion VND, of which phase 1 is 1,411 billion VND.

According to the assessment of the professional agency, the new adjustment does not affect the overall route axis, still maintaining the orientation: Developing the central axis Hung Tay - Vinh - Cua Lo as a new symbolic space axis of the urban area, the central median strip of the axis functions as a large-scale green belt, in the median strip arranges a rapid bus route, integrating the median strip with the open space of the urban area, public works - traffic culture. On both sides of the road, build new modern high-rise urban centers, with high construction density and separated by landscaped green spaces.

At the meeting of the Provincial People's Committee to unify the plan to adjust the project scale, delegates were concerned about the arrangement of the BRT bus route and the subway system. Regarding this issue, the leader of the Department of Transport said that according to the approved attached drawing, the BRT bus route is integrated within the median strip, however, the section from Hung Tay - Vinh (National Highway 1A) - Truong Van Linh has a median strip 16 - 36m wide; the section from Truong Van Linh - Cua Lo is 21 - 86m wide. On the other hand, with a minimum width of 21m, it still ensures the integration of the BRT bus route. Currently, the Vinh - Cua Lo boulevard has a 9m wide service road system on each side. After completing the investment, the BRT bus route can be integrated into the service lane, reducing the cost of building overpasses and underpasses, making it convenient for the people.

Overall perspective of construction details on both sides of the avenue. Photo: Thu Huyen

For the underground Metro line, with the new construction technology today, it will not affect the line at all. On the other hand, currently the connection between Vinh city center - Cua Lo has 3 main axes including National Highway 46, Provincial Road 535, and Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard, the short connection length is about more than 10km combined with public bus systems, so investing in the underground Metro line should only be done when really necessary.

Speed ​​up the progress

Currently, the Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard Project still has a lot of work to do, one of the most difficult of which is site clearance, which requires relocating 682 graves, relocating 316 households, building 9 resettlement areas... which takes a lot of time.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Ha Thanh Tinh - Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee said that households in Nghi Duc commune requested compensation for agricultural land at the price of projects in the area that are being implemented such as the project to build a road connecting Lam River to National Highway 46 under the Vinh Urban Development Sub-project funded by the World Bank. If so, the cost will increase by about 81 billion VND.

To speed up the progress, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong assigned the Department of Transport to advise the Provincial People's Committee to complete the Steering Committee and the standing team, closely coordinate with the District Clearance Council to resolve difficulties and obstacles to speed up the progress of handing over the project construction site. Carry out the selection of contractors and basic construction procedures. The Department of Construction plans the 1/500 scale on both sides of the road; coordinates to adjust the planning, project clearance, and determine the resettlement location according to the people's recommendations...

Localities also need to promptly approve the budget estimates to support infrastructure construction for these households in a timely manner to minimize the scale and construction time of resettlement areas. In the immediate future, relevant departments and localities need to urgently work with central ministries and branches to approve the plan adjustment policy before February 20, 2017; finalize the completed construction volume before April 15, 2017...

Currently, relevant departments, branches and localities are focusing on completing the procedures for deciding on project investment policies to have a basis for implementing the next steps, adjusting the planning and allocating capital. Regarding resettlement, the Provincial People's Committee recommends that the People's Committees of relevant districts, cities and towns organize to collect opinions and propagate to households subject to resettlement who do not wish to take resettlement land to find new accommodation, resettle in other residential areas; at the same time, promptly approve the budget estimate to support infrastructure construction for these households to minimize the scale and construction time of resettlement areas.

Along with that, review the resettlement areas that have been built in the area that can be arranged for the project... For the cleared area that is now reduced in scale, the Provincial People's Committee will plant trees to create landscape and avoid re-encroachment./.

Thu Huyen