Waiting for future roads

Vo Chi Cong Street through Thang Binh district. Photo: HO QUAN

To have more breakthroughs in the development of this land, new routes with more modern transportation systems are still needed.

Important achievements

I started working at the Institute of Design and Planning of Quang Nam - Da Nang province in May 1978. The business trips to Tam Ky, Que Son, Duy Xuyen... during the period 1980 - 1995 left me with indescribable emotions.

A typical example is Tam Ky town - an urban area that was established in 1906 but after nearly 100 years there is not even a single intersection. Road 104 from Nam Phuoc to Giao Thuy is muddy in the rainy season, with mud up to the ankles.

I also witnessed people carrying sick people on stretchers across Le Pass, from Trung Phuoc to the district hospital in Que Son... Recalling memories, I can see how great and proud the achievements of the past years are.

Since the province was re-established in 1997, Quang Nam has had a fairly complete road system, including key traffic routes invested by the Central Government and the province, and a widespread rural traffic system.

Quang Nam has also completed and put into use a coastal route connecting Da Nang to Chu Lai airport. This route not only facilitates traffic but also promotes economic development in the eastern region of the province, attracting billions of dollars in investment in coastal tourism projects.

Regarding Chu Lai airport, Quang Nam is focusing on calling for investment to effectively exploit Chu Lai International Airport, with an area of ​​over 2,000 hectares, to promote trade and tourism. At the same time, investing and upgrading the Ky Ha seaport system and Chu Lai port to create favorable conditions for cargo transportation and marine economic development.

The rural traffic concreting program has dramatically changed the appearance of regions in the province. In mountainous areas, projects to bring automobile roads to commune centers have contributed to improving people's access and trade. Upgraded traffic infrastructure has created favorable conditions for attracting investment, contributing to shifting the economic structure towards industrialization and modernization.

Waiting for the roads

New routes with modern transportation systems are the dream of the people of Quang Nam. To achieve this, there needs to be a synchronous planning for urban development along the route to ensure a large enough number of passengers.

The construction of Truong Giang Bridge has created favorable conditions for traffic between Tam Ky City and coastal communes. Photo: PHUONG THAO

Developing existing routes is necessary. The original Lac Long Quan route connecting Da Nang City to Hoi An, according to the approved planning project, has a cross-section of 60m wide. This is a suitable planning solution with limited financial capacity when the province was first divided and has very good reserves for development.

However, during the construction process, the authorities of the two localities of Dien Ban and Hoi An did not properly manage the road boundaries, so that today the reserved green spaces are encroached upon by houses on the sidewalk, making the planning invalid.

Currently, the need to expand Lac Long Quan route has become urgent. To overcome this situation, Quang Nam needs to take drastic measures to reclaim the entire route or study a new route parallel to the existing route. The feasible solution is to clear the planned road clearance.

Quang Nam can consider building an urban railway connecting Da Nang to Chu Lai airport. The construction of an urban railway connecting Da Nang City - Tam Ky City - Chu Lai airport will help strengthen the connection between the key economic regions of the Central region, including Da Nang, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai. At the same time, it will reduce the load on National Highway 1A, with increasing traffic volume.

The coastal areas of Quang Nam and Da Nang have many important tourist destinations such as Hoi An, Cu Lao Cham, Tam Ky and coastal resorts. An urban railway could help reduce travel time and enhance the experience for tourists.

In addition, Chu Lai airport is being planned to be expanded into a major aviation hub. A high-speed rail line could help attract passengers and investors to the area.

However, urban railway systems require huge investment capital. Without sufficient passenger and freight traffic, the project may have difficulty recovering its investment.

In addition, the Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway and National Highway 1A are still meeting travel needs quite well. If investing in urban railways, there should be preferential policies to encourage people to use them instead of personal vehicles.

Not to mention, if only serving passengers, the ability to recover capital will be low. If integrating freight transport and logistics, economic efficiency can be higher.

In my opinion, in the short term, we can use the bus rapid transit (BRT) system connecting the cities of Da Nang - Tam Ky - Chu Lai to increase connectivity and meet the appropriate needs in the first phase. When the demand is large enough, we will consider the urban railway route.

The government needs to seek support funds from the state budget, ODA or public-private investment model (PPP) to reduce the financial burden.

In particular, the Da Nang - Tam Ky - Chu Lai urban railway has potential and strategic significance, but it needs to be carefully studied for its feasibility, especially in terms of actual needs and investment capital. If there is a reasonable urban and economic development plan along the route, this project can bring great benefits to the Central region.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cho-nhung-cung-duong-trong-tuong-lai-3151151.html