Proposal to close the project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9 through Quang Tri with WB loan

Proposal to close the project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9 through Quang Tri with WB loan

The project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9, from Cua Viet Port to National Highway 1, using World Bank loans, will be terminated while still under construction due to failure to complete site clearance work as planned.

A section of National Highway 9 under the National Highway 9 upgrade and expansion project, from Cua Viet port to National Highway 1, is under construction.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has just sent an official dispatch to the Government leaders regarding the Project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9, the section from Cua Viet Port to National Highway 1, using capital from the World Bank.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Planning and Investment proposed that the Government leaders assign the Ministry of Transport to complete the procedures for payment, settlement and closure of the Project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9 from Cua Viet Port to National Highway 1 according to regulations of Vietnam and the World Bank.

The Ministry of Transport is responsible for managing and developing a plan to continue investing and completing unfinished items of the Project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9 from Cua Viet Port to National Highway 1 with appropriate capital sources according to regulations, in which it is necessary to note the possibility that the WB will continue to require the implementation of the environmental and social policy framework applicable to the project.

Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee is recommended to take responsibility for resolving any consequences (if any) related to delays in implementing compensation and site clearance work.

This locality is also responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Transport and fulfilling local responsibilities in the process of management and preparation, implementing the plan to continue investing, completing unfinished items of the Project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9 from Cua Viet Port to National Highway 1.

The project to upgrade and expand National Highway 9 from Cua Viet Port to National Highway 1 is 13.8 km long, starting from Cua Viet Port (Cua Viet Town, Gio Linh District), ending at the intersection of National Highway 1, Song Crossroads (Thanh An Commune, Cam Lo District); scale of grade II road, 4 lanes; total roadbed width of 28 m, not including sidewalks.

This project with a total investment of 19.05 million USD (equivalent to 440.37 billion VND) is scheduled to be completed by December 2022.

However, when the implementation period and the Funding Agreement expire on December 31, 2022, the Project still cannot complete the construction items.

Meanwhile, the continuation of the Project by using domestic budget capital instead of WB loan capital was not implemented by the Ministry of Transport because the People's Committee of Quang Tri province did not complete the site clearance compensation work.

According to the assessment, the unfinished site clearance and construction projects do not help promote the effectiveness of traffic and port connections in Quang Tri province in particular and the Central region in general; affecting the production and daily life of people and businesses in the area.

Previously, the Government leader requested the People's Committee of Quang Tri province to direct a review and draw profound lessons on the responsibility for the delay in implementing the project's compensation and site clearance cooperation, which was not completed on schedule.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/de-xuat-dong-du-an-nang-cap-mo-rong-quoc-lo-9-qua-quang-tri-vay-von-wb-d223460.html