Residents of Yen Binh ward have recently contacted Nghe An Newspaper to report on the inadequate condition of Kim Dong road, specifically the section from the ward's cultural center to Hermann Gmeiner road. “The section of Kim Dong road through Yen Binh ward is narrow and connects to many alleys, while the demand for transportation on this route is constantly increasing, posing a constant risk of traffic accidents. We hope the city will urgently implement the project to alleviate this bottleneck and not prolong the delay any further…” – residents have expressed their concerns.
Upon arriving at Yen Binh block, passing through the "bottleneck" section of Kim Dong road, the frustrations of the residents are understandable. Although the road has a name, its surface is only about 3 meters wide. Whenever a four-seater car passes, all motorbikes, bicycles, and even pedestrians have to be cautious. The houses in Yen Binh block are densely packed, with access points through alleys that connect to Kim Dong road. Therefore, at the intersections of the alleys and the road, there are warning signs that read "narrow alley, please reduce speed." When meeting with the Party Secretary of Yen Binh block, Mr. Nguyen Trong Van, the first thing I heard was: "The people's aspirations in this block have been around for a long time. I myself have been reflecting these aspirations of the people to the City Party Committee and the City People's Council for a long time…"
According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Van, the Yen Binh area has about 200 households, living in a concentrated area, and all their transportation needs depend on Kim Dong road. Previously, when motorcycles and bicycles were the primary means of transport, the situation was less complicated. However, with the increasing prevalence of cars, traffic on this route has become extremely problematic. Therefore, the "bottleneck" section has led to numerous arguments between road users and many accidents. "The area has a large population, the traffic volume on Kim Dong road is high, and there are three schools nearby, so resolving this 'bottleneck' is extremely necessary and urgent. Accidents are very likely to occur at both ends of the 'bottleneck' and at the intersections between alleys and the road. Even children from the ward have been involved in accidents right at the bottleneck leading from the ward office..." – said Party Secretary Nguyen Trong Van.
According to the Secretary of the Yen Binh Ward Party Committee, the Kim Dong road expansion project has been underway for quite some time, and the Ward Party Committee even participated in marking the boundaries. From the Hung Phuc Ward headquarters to Hermann Gmeiner Street, the "bottleneck" section will be widened to the right to 18 meters. However, the project has been slow to implement.
“As I understand it, the city is facing difficulties regarding resettlement land and investment capital. To expand the road, 10 households will need to be relocated. Basically, the affected households agree to move because their houses have been dilapidated for many years but are not allowed to be repaired due to planning restrictions. These households wish to be relocated within the ward. As far as I know, the city is considering this request. Regarding investment capital, I have received information that the city has allocated funds for implementation in 2023. However, I am concerned because there has been no concrete action taken in the land clearance process so far. If this process is delayed, how will the road expansion plan be completed this year?…” – Party Secretary Nguyen Trong Van shared.
According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Viet, Secretary of the Party Committee of Hung Phuc Ward, the expansion of Kim Dong Street, specifically the section passing through Yen Binh residential area, is a long-awaited project for both the people and the local Party committee and government. Mr. Viet stated that the city has allocated investment capital and is currently searching for land to resettle residents; the ward is also conducting surveys and identifying those whose land will be expropriated for compensation. “This is a long story, and the ward is deeply concerned because it has been going on for too long, almost four terms, and it still hasn't been implemented. The difficulty lies in the ward's lack of land for resettlement, while the city has many other important projects underway. Fortunately, this year the city has shown interest, adopted a policy, and allocated funds for implementation. To ensure the project is carried out, the ward has also understood the people's aspirations and proposed that the city allocate suitable land for resettlement…”
Upon investigation, the Kim Dong road expansion project was approved by the Vinh City People's Committee in Decision No. 8480/QD-UBND dated December 16, 2021, with the Hung Phuc Ward People's Committee as the investor. In terms of scale, the total length of the route is 433.84m (from the intersection with Nguyen Van Cu Street to the intersection with Hermann Gmeiner Street); the roadbed design is 18m wide (9m road surface, 4.5m sidewalk on each side); the total investment is 34.99 billion VND from the city budget, including over 26.35 billion VND for land clearance; the implementation time is no more than 3 years. Nearly a year later, Decision No. 8480/QD-UBND was adjusted by the Vinh City People's Committee, increasing the total investment to over 35.88 billion VND in Decision No. 5348/QD-UBND dated November 17, 2022.
Currently, the Vinh City People's Committee has a medium-term public investment plan until 2025 for the Kim Dong road expansion project; funding has been allocated in 2023, as informed by Nguyen Quang Viet, Secretary of the Hung Phuc Ward Party Committee; and is coordinating with the Provincial Land Fund Development Center to review and identify land for resettlement.
Regarding resettlement arrangements, the People's Committee of Hung Phuc Ward reports that within the land acquisition area, 10 households with 30 people living on the land are affected; it is estimated that 12 resettlement plots and 3 plots of land with land use fees will be allocated. Considering the wishes of the households, Hung Phuc Ward proposes resettlement within the area, specifically in the planned park, parking lot, and cultural center of Vinh Phuc block. Recognizing the legitimate wishes of the households, the People's Committee of Vinh City has determined the resettlement plan as proposed by the People's Committee of Hung Phuc Ward.
However, the Vinh Phuc block's planned park, parking lot, and cultural center area is currently being allocated by the Provincial Land Development Center for the resettlement of households whose land was expropriated for the Ly Thuong Kiet road project. Therefore, the City People's Committee is requesting this unit to review the land allocation. “The City Land Development Center has been assigned by the City People's Committee to coordinate with the Hung Phuc Ward People's Committee to carry out land acquisition, site clearance, and resettlement for the Kim Dong road expansion project. Currently, the Center has submitted a report, and the City People's Committee has sent a document to the Provincial Land Development Center…” – a responsible official from the City Land Development Center informed.
According to Document No. 824/UBND-PTQĐ dated February 27, 2023, sent to the Provincial Land Fund Development Center, the Vinh City People's Committee anticipates a need for 15 resettlement land plots for the Kim Dong road expansion project, located in the planned area for the park, parking lot, and cultural center of Vinh Phuc block. “To provide a basis for carrying out procedures and approving the policy of allocating land to families whose land has been expropriated, the Vinh City People's Committee requests the Provincial Land Fund Development Center to review and compile a detailed list of the remaining unallocated land plots in the Vinh Phuc block's planned park, parking lot, and cultural center area, and to divide the land for resettlement in Hung Phuc ward. The results should be sent to the Vinh City People's Committee (via the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the City Land Fund Development Center) before March 3, 2023. The Vinh City People's Committee requests the Provincial Land Fund Development Center to pay attention and promptly resolve the issue so that the project can be implemented on schedule,” the Vinh City People's Committee emphasized in Document No. 824/UBND-PTQĐ. When asked by officials from the City Land Fund Development Center: The Vinh City People's Committee requested the Provincial Land Fund Development Center to review and compile the list and provide a notification of the results before March 3, 2023. Why, after more than two months, are there still no results? This official confirmed that the City Land Development Center has not yet received a response from the Provincial Land Development Center!
On May 9th, we contacted the Vice Chairman of the Vinh City People's Committee, Nguyen Sy Dieu. After reviewing the information he provided, we learned that the Provincial Land Development Center had issued a written response on April 26th. Mr. Nguyen Sy Dieu stated: “According to the review results of the Provincial Land Development Center, the land fund in the planned park, parking lot, cultural center area of Vinh Phuc ward, and the resettlement plots in Hung Phuc ward is still sufficient to ensure resettlement for the Kim Dong road expansion project. Regarding the project implementation process, it must be carried out according to regulations, so it will take quite a long time. There are many other urgent projects in the city. However, the city recognizes that resolving the traffic congestion on Kim Dong road is a very important task, therefore we will focus on implementing it. We hope the people will be reassured and have confidence…”