Hai Phong Delays Four Transportation Infrastructure Projects Due to Lack of Public Investment Funds

Hai Phong Delays Four Transportation Infrastructure Projects Due to Lack of Public Investment Funds

On July 18, the Hai Phong City People's Committee announced that the city will consider delaying the implementation of several transportation infrastructure repair and renovation projects from the 2021-2025 period to the 2024-2027 period due to difficulties in allocating medium-term public investment funds for these projects.

The projects that need to be delayed include the road connecting National Highway 5 with National Highway 10 (passing through Kien An District), the underpass project at the intersection of Le Hong Phong Street and Bui Vien Street (Hai An District), the drainage canal and green isolation belt between the Vinfast automobile complex and the residential area (Cat Hai District), and the construction of a new Vang 1 Bridge (An Lao District).

Delaying Implementation Due to Lack of Funds

The project for the road connecting National Highway 5 and National Highway 10 is part of the solutions for developing transportation infrastructure and reducing congestion in Hai Phong by 2030, approved by the 15th Hai Phong City People's Council at the 14th session. This project, with a total investment of 3 trillion VND from the Hai Phong city budget and socialized funds, was planned to be implemented during the 2021-2024 period.

The project's goal is to create a new 15 km long, second-class plain road with a design speed of 100 km/h to connect industrial zones in Vinh Bao and Tien Lang districts with Hai Phong Port, reducing the load on National Highway 5 and National Highway 10. The road is planned to pass through An Duong District, Kien An District, Tien Lang District, and Vinh Bao District, with intersections at National Highway 5 (passing through Bac Son Commune, An Duong District) and National Highway 10 (passing through Vinh An Commune, Vinh Bao District).

The resolution of the Hai Phong City People's Council stipulated that the project must be implemented and completed in the 2021-2024 period. However, so far, only more than 8.1 km of the road section connecting National Highway 10 through Vinh Bao and Tien Lang districts have been implemented. Since 2022, due to difficulties in allocating medium-term public investment funds for the 2021-2025 period, the section of the road connecting National Highway 5 and National Highway 10 through Kien An District has been postponed to the 2026-2030 period.

Developing Synchronized Transportation Infrastructure

To develop synchronized transportation infrastructure, Hai Phong aims to build a series of grade-separated intersections during the 2020-2025 period, including intersections between World Bank Road (Nguyen Truong To section) and National Highway 10 (An Duong District), World Bank Road (Bui Vien section) and Vo Nguyen Giap Road (Le Chan District), and the intersection with Le Hong Phong Road (Hai An District).

According to the Hai An District People's Committee, Bui Vien Road, the main container transport route from Hai Phong ports to northern provinces, intersects with Le Hong Phong Road (the main route to Cat Bi International Airport, also the main traffic route of Hai An District with the central area of Hai Phong) and is becoming increasingly congested. This intersection often experiences traffic jams and poses high traffic safety risks, affecting access to Cat Bi International Airport. It urgently needs funding for the construction of an underpass.

The Hai Phong City People's Committee acknowledges that although there is a plan to build a grade-separated intersection between Bui Vien Road and Le Hong Phong Road, due to medium-term public investment funding difficulties, Hai Phong is focusing resources on other key projects. Therefore, the investment and construction of this project will be considered for implementation at an appropriate time.

Proposing Investment Decentralization to District Level

Since 2016, the Hai Phong City People's Committee has approved the planning of Cat Hai Island, which includes the construction of a road, drainage canal, and green isolation belt from Tan Vu - Lach Huyen Road to the Hoang Chau sea dyke to isolate the residential area from the Vinfast automobile complex.

According to the report dated April 19, 2023, from the Cat Hai District People's Committee, the construction of these drainage canals and green belts not only ensures the drainage needs of Cat Hai Island but also promotes synchronized transportation and green infrastructure. The total investment proposed by the Cat Hai District People's Committee is over 269 billion VND from the Hai Phong city budget.

The Hai Phong City People's Committee acknowledges that due to difficulties in medium-term public investment funding, it agrees with the proposal of the Department of Planning and Investment to postpone the preparation procedures for this project. The city assigns the Department of Planning and Investment to propose the implementation of the project at an appropriate time based on the plan and funding balance. It also directs the Cat Hai District People's Committee to coordinate with the Department of Planning and Investment to arrange public investment funds for project implementation in the near future.

Reconstructing Vang 1 Bridge

In 2021, the Hai Phong City Department of Transport proposed the reconstruction of Vang 1 Bridge on Provincial Road 360 (An Lao Town, An Lao District), which connects with National Highway 10, as the old bridge is too narrow and has degraded, posing traffic safety risks. According to the proposal of the Department of Transport, this project is a traffic connection project between districts, using public investment funds and planned to be implemented in the 2022-2025 period.

According to the Hai Phong City Department of Planning and Investment, after reviewing the list of projects using medium-term public investment funds for the 2022-2025 period, due to funding difficulties, and based on the city's funding balance, the department proposed not to implement the reconstruction of Vang 1 Bridge in this period. The Hai Phong City People's Committee agreed with the proposal not to implement the reconstruction of Vang 1 Bridge in the 2021-2025 period.

To address funding difficulties and ensure traffic safety, in March 2024, An Lao District proposed that the Hai Phong City People's Committee allow the district to use its public investment funds and city support funds to implement the reconstruction of Vang 1 Bridge, with the project planned for the 2024-2027 period. The Hai Phong City People's Committee agreed to direct the Department of Planning and Investment to study and resolve the medium-term public investment funding difficulties to invest in the traffic connection projects in An Lao District.

Transportation Development Plan Until 2030

Since 2020, Hai Phong has had a resolution on the tasks and solutions for developing transportation infrastructure and reducing traffic congestion until 2030, with a vision beyond 2030. According to this resolution, Hai Phong will build synchronized and modern transportation infrastructure to facilitate connections between the port system and industrial zones, and connect Hai Phong with other provinces and internationally by road, rail, sea, inland waterway, and air. The total investment is expected to exceed 151.441 trillion VND.

For the 2020-2025 period, over 104.747 trillion VND will be allocated, including more than 45% from the city budget, 51.67% from socialized funds, and 2.8% from the central budget. For the 2026-2030 period, over 46.694 trillion VND will be mobilized and used, including 32.96% from the city budget, 67.02% from socialized funds, and 0.02% from the central budget.

The Hai Phong City People's Committee is making efforts to consider and adjust the progress of transportation infrastructure projects to align with the ability to allocate public investment funds, ensuring sustainable development for the city.