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 VND 4,157 billion from the State budget with a length of 10.8km, according to urban main street standards. From 2012 to present, the project has allocated VND 563 billion to implement site clearance on the entire route and construct package No. 5, over 3km long, through Cua Lo town. For many years, the road has been unfinished due to difficulties in site clearance, especially lack of capital.
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| 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 medium-term capital, the Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard Project was 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 city, the central median strip of the axis functions as a large-scale green belt, in the median strip is arranged a rapid bus route, integrating the median strip with the open space of the city, 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.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Ky - Director of Department of Transport said:With a total adjusted budget of 1,411 billion VND, the 95m road section plan for phase 1 is suitable and still ensures the new symbolic space axis of the city. In addition, the arrangement of a 21m median width is also a reasonable plan, especially in the period of difficult capital sources, limited local budget, while the requirement is to soon connect the traffic axis between Vinh city center and Cua Lo town. “To continue implementing the project, the Department of Transport commits that the marking of the site clearance will be carried out from March 1st and the work related to resettlement will start from April 1st, 2017. The construction contractor will be selected from May 20th, 2017, completed before June 30th, 2017; construction will begin in July 2017, and the route will be opened and paved with asphalt in December 2018,” the Director of the Department of Transport added. |
At the meeting of the Provincial People's Committee to unify the plan to adjust the scale of the project, 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 frontage road system on each side. After completing the investment, the BRT bus route can be integrated into the frontage lane, reducing the cost of building overpasses and underpasses, making it convenient for the people.
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| Overall perspective of construction details on both sides of the avenue. Photo: Thu Huyen |
For the underground Metro line, with the current new construction technology, it will not affect the line at all. On the other hand, currently the connection between Vinh city center and 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.
Hurry up to speed up the progress
Currently, the Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard Project still has a lot of work to do, one of the most difficult is site clearance, which requires the relocation of 682 graves, the relocation of 316 households, the construction of 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 Land Acquisition and Site Clearance Councils to resolve difficulties and obstacles to speed up the progress of handing over the project's construction site. Carry out the selection of contractors and basic construction procedures. The Department of Construction plans the 1/500 scale plan on both sides of the road; coordinates to adjust the planning, land acquisition and site clearance of the project, and determines 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...
With this adjustment plan, the amount of land clearance work that needs to be done is significantly reduced. The number of affected households is reduced from 672 to 352; the number of relocated and resettled households is reduced from 569 to 352; the number of resettlement plots is reduced from 877 to 598. That is not to mention the reduction of graves and public works. According to calculations, the cost of site clearance is reduced by 640 billion VND, suitable for the ability to balance the capital allocated for the project until 2020 (the central budget is 1,100 billion VND, the provincial budget is 311 billion VND). |
Currently, relevant departments, branches and localities are focusing on completing the procedures for deciding on the project investment policy 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 a landscape and avoid re-encroachment./.
Thu Huyen
