Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed on the investment plan to expand Vinh International Airport and build Cua Lo deep-water port.

Provincial leaders report to the Prime Minister on the investment plan to expand Vinh International Airport. Photo: Thanh Duy

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Vinh International Airport. Currently, this airport is operating an average of 35 flights per day, serving 6 airlines.

Vinh International Airport has been approved by the Ministry of Transport for a total area of ​​447.37 hectares; however, the current limitation is that Passenger Terminal T1 is operating at maximum capacity, and during peak times, the flight frequency is overloaded; the international passenger terminal does not meet the requirements because it is being used from the renovated old terminal; Runway 1, 2,400m long, can only accommodate A320/A321 aircraft (code C aircraft) or equivalent, and cannot receive large-body aircraft code E such as A350, B777, B787, etc.

In 2015, the number of passengers passing through Vinh International Airport was 1.376 million passengers, in 2020 it was 2.002 million passengers (an increase of 45.5%). Photo: Thanh Duy

Along with that, the quality of the runway has degraded and needs regular maintenance and repair; the parking lot can only accommodate a maximum of 6 planes, so it is often overloaded; there is no cargo terminal or hangar repair area...

Since 2018, Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) has been implementing the investment project to expand Vinh International Airport. However, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and to focus resources on investing in large-scale key projects, projects under Vinh International Airport have been shifted to investment after 2025, so the procedures for the expansion project have stopped being implemented.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concluded on the plan to expand Vinh International Airport through the form of socialization to attract investment. Photo: Thanh Duy

Based on the current infrastructure status of Vinh International Airport, the growth rate of passengers passing through Vinh airport in recent years, from 2015-2020 increased by 45% and forecast for the coming period, Nghe An province considers that in the current period, it is very necessary to attract investment in expansion projects to invest in construction: Passenger Terminal T2 with a capacity of 10 million passengers/year; runway No. 2, aircraft parking lot, cargo terminal, hangar, traffic system and auxiliary items, investment period 2022 - 2025 with a total cost of more than 10,700 billion VND.

Through the survey, the Prime Minister agreed to the policy of socializing investment attraction for the Vinh International Airport expansion project and assigned the People's Committee of Nghe An province as the competent authority to implement the project; at the same time, to arrange defense land under the Vinh Airport planning to a new location with stability and long-term.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh listens to an introduction to the planning and items of Cua Lo Deep Water Port. Photo: Thanh Duy

Next, the Prime Minister visited the site of the Cua Lo Deep Water Port project in Nghi Thiet commune, Nghi Loc district. This project was granted an investment license in December 2010 to the International Transport Development Investment Joint Stock Company with a scale of 3,300 billion VND, including 2 wharves and auxiliary works.

However, the investor proposed that the province invest in a 1,450m long breakwater and shipping channel using state budget capital. However, due to difficulties, the province has not been able to arrange capital for investment despite efforts to find many solutions to access capital sources from the budget or ODA.

The beach is located in Nghi Thiet commune, Nghi Loc district - where Cua Lo deep-water port will be built. Photo: Thanh Duy

From the beginning of 2021, the Investor plans to restart the project, expected to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2022 and complete in the fourth quarter of 2025. In particular, the province and the investor have agreed that the investor will invest in the breakwater, so the biggest difficulty of the project has been resolved.

At the same time, the investor proposed that Nghe An province invest in a bridge connecting National Highway 7C to the offshore port area, 3,270m long, 11m wide, with a total investment of 1,789 billion VND. The province is currently assigning departments and branches to propose investment policies and prepare capital plans.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed with the above adjustment plan of the project to soon build Cua Lo deep-water port and strive to complete it in the 2020-2025 term.

The Head of Government concluded on the plan and requirements for the Cua Lo Deep-water Port project. Photo: Thanh Duy

The Prime Minister also noted that the province needs to allocate public investment capital for the 2021-2025 period to carry out site clearance for investment in expanding Vinh International Airport and the bridge connecting National Highway 7C to Cua Lo deep-water port, as these are key projects that create momentum for the province's development. After Cua Lo deep-water port is formed, attention should be paid to planning the surrounding areas, as well as ensuring the environment.

The Prime Minister also emphasized that when Cua Lo Deep Water Port is formed, Nghe An needs to simultaneously merge Vinh City and Cua Lo Town, as well as some communes of neighboring districts to create a larger development space and build Vinh City into a coastal city.

The Prime Minister discussed with provincial leaders at the construction site of the coastal road section through Nghi Loc district, Nghe An. Photo: Thanh Duy

The coastal route from Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa) to Cua Lo (Nghe An) with a total length of 78.9 km, was invested in construction with 3 segments; of which the 7km section was completed in 2010; and the 7.44km section was deployed in 2019 and has been basically completed to date.

The remaining section with a total length of 64.47km will be implemented from February 2022 with the scale of a level III delta road with a total cost of VND 4,651 billion, expected to be completed in February 2026. However, to soon connect the entire coastal route through Nghe An, the Provincial People's Committee directed the construction within 30 months, completed in the second quarter of 2024 to quickly promote the effectiveness of the project.

The coastal road section through Nghi Loc district, Nghe An is being urgently constructed. Photo: Thanh Duy

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents gifts to workers constructing a coastal road. Photo: Thanh Duy

Currently, the project in this section has cleared 37.36km/59.91km of land through agricultural, forestry and other land (reaching 62%). The capital allocated for 2022 is 1,620 billion VND, and has been disbursed at 69.24%.

Directly surveying the site in Nghi Loc district, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the project's progress, as well as the progress of public investment disbursement. If the disbursement progress continues to be good, public investment capital will be adjusted for slow-progressing projects to be allocated to this project.

The Prime Minister noted that investors, supervisors, design consultants, and contractors need to meet weekly to review progress and quality; make weekly payments based on volume to promptly motivate contractors; and pay attention to taking care of and ensuring the health of workers in hot weather conditions.

The head of the Government personally visited the construction site of the coastal road to inquire about workers' work, income, and life. Photo: Thanh Duy

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh talks with the contractor of the coastal road project through Nghi Loc district. Photo: Thanh Duy

The Head of Government emphasized that if there are difficulties or problems beyond the scope of resolution, it is necessary to promptly report to superiors; at the same time, consultants must be regularly present at the site; ensure planning of raw material mines serving the project and the viewpoint is that these mines need to be handed over to contractors or investors, without going through intermediaries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gives his opinion on plans to renovate and expand National Highway 46, Vinh - Nam Dan section. Photo: Thanh Duy

National Highway 46, Vinh - Nam Dan section, is 16.6km long. Photo: National Highway 46, passing through Hung Nguyen town, Hung Nguyen district. Photo: Thanh Duy

Next, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh went to survey and listen to reports on plans to renovate and expand National Highway 46, Vinh - Nam Dan section, with a length of 16.6km. Currently, only 6km/16.6km of the route has a median strip (1m), the rest do not have a median strip, and some sections do not have sidewalks or lighting, affecting the urban beauty and creating a landscape for the route serving tourism.