Urgent need to open the "bloodline" of the Eastern Economic Corridor

Trucks carrying goods from Laos to Vietnam through Nam Giang International Border Gate. Photo: CONG TU

National highway seriously degraded

The East-West Economic Corridor 2 starts from Tien Sa Port (Da Nang City), National Highway 14B, Ho Chi Minh Road, National Highway 14D, through Nam Giang International Border Gate to Laos, Northeast Thailand.

Thus, the routes on this corridor in Quang Nam include National Highway 14B, Ho Chi Minh Road, and National Highway 14D. Due to the large traffic volume on National Highway 14B, especially heavy trucks, combined with the effects of adverse weather, the road surface has been severely damaged over a large area.

Meanwhile, through Nam Giang district, National Highway 14D is severely damaged, with most of the asphalt surface peeling off, leaving only a gravel foundation. The Quang Nam Traffic Infrastructure Management Center (Department of Construction) said the cause was the sudden increase in car traffic and its high level. Statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024 showed that the traffic volume on the route was 864 cars/day and night; 1.73 times higher than in the first quarter (499 cars/day and night).

Director of Quang Nam Traffic Infrastructure Management Center - Mr. Dang Huu Linh shared that the demand for transporting goods through Nam Giang International Border Gate is increasing, and the increase in specialized vehicles is proof.

The road system in Laos has been expanded, but the connecting National Highway 14D still cannot meet transportation needs; accidents and congestion occur frequently. National Highway 14B is also overloaded, with a traffic volume of 4,200 vehicles/day and night (1,572 vehicles on 4 axles); 3.11 times higher than at the beginning of 2024.

According to experts, Highway 14D has many advantages to attract a large volume of goods and passengers due to its attraction and spread from the Bolaven Plateau and the Northeast region of Thailand, Myanmar, and the Indian Ocean to seaports in the Quang Nam, Da Nang, and Hue regions.

Vehicles traveling on the route will contribute to reducing transportation costs and cross-border transactions; promoting the development of logistics services and investment; helping countries better access mineral and energy resources to serve the manufacturing and processing industries.

In addition, it creates conditions for the flow of goods from countries in the Mekong sub-region to expand and penetrate the potential markets of countries in the South Asia and West Asia regions.

Promote investment funding

Currently, many Vietnamese enterprises investing in Thailand and Laos have a great need to transport goods via National Highway 14D to supply raw materials to processing factories in coastal areas before exporting through seaports in Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai.

QL14E is under construction, renovation and expansion. Photo: CONG TU

In addition, many businesses in the Central Key Economic Zone also have the need to transport goods produced in Vietnam for consumption in Southern Laos and Northeast Thailand. Given the importance of National Highway 14D, the early upgrading and expansion of this route will bring efficiency, especially for sea transport from Thailand and Laos to Northeast Asia.

On February 8, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee and concluded on the investment policy for the two routes QL14D and QL14B.

The content of Conclusion Notice No. 40 (notice of the Government Office dated February 12, 2025) clearly states that the Ministry of Finance urgently reports to the Government on the plan to allocate increased revenue and save central budget expenditures in 2024 in February 2025 to report to competent authorities, including investment projects to upgrade and expand National Highway 14D and National Highway 14B.

Regarding resource promotion, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction - Mr. Tran Ngoc Thanh said that on February 26, 2025, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee signed Document No. 1504 to the Ministry of Finance on the arrangement of sources to increase revenue and save central budget expenditures in 2024 to support projects to upgrade and expand National Highway 14D and National Highway 14B through Quang Nam.

Accordingly, to speed up the implementation progress and strive to complete it in 2026 as directed by the Prime Minister, Quang Nam proposed that the Ministry of Finance pay attention to advising competent authorities to consider allocating a budget of 500 billion VND.

This resource is the basis for the province to soon direct the implementation of the preparation, submission for appraisal, approval of investment project dossiers and procedures as well as the next steps of the projects. The remaining capital for project implementation continues to be balanced in the medium-term public investment plan of the central budget for the period 2026 - 2030.

QL14E is under construction and upgrading, so traffic is difficult, and the flow of vehicles carrying ore and many other goods from Nam Giang International Border Gate to Chu Lai Port is also limited. According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Thanh, "unblocking" QL14D not only solves the problem of people's livelihood but is also an opportunity to develop logistics services. In particular, when QL14E is renovated and expanded, heavy trucks from the border gate will access Ho Chi Minh Road, down QL14E (at Phuoc Son) to Chu Lai Port, increasing rapidly, because the distance is much shorter than going down QL14B and then turning to Nui Thanh.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cap-thiet-mo-huyet-mach-hanh-lang-kinh-te-dong-tay-3151216.html