Ninh Thuan increases length, reduces investment capital for highway-seaport connection project

The project of the road connecting the North-South Expressway with National Highway 1 and Ca Na General Seaport was adjusted to increase the length by 8.2 km, the total investment capital decreased by nearly 215 billion VND.

Leader of Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Committee Tran Quoc Nam, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Committee inspected the construction progress of Component Project 1 connecting the North-South Expressway to National Highway 1A.

Leaders of Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Committee inspect the construction progress of Component 1 of the road connecting the North-South Expressway to National Highway 1A. Photo: Huu Tin.

At the 21st Session of the 11th Provincial People's Council, term 2021-2026, the Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Council passed a Resolution adjusting the investment policy for the Project of the Road connecting the North-South Expressway with National Highway 1 and Ca Na General Seaport.

Accordingly, the Project of the Road connecting the North-South Expressway with National Highway 1 and Ca Na General Seaport has adjusted the total length, total investment, capital structure and land use area.

Specifically, the total length of the route is adjusted to about 23 km, an increase of 8.2 km (previously approved for about 14.8 km). Component project 1, the section connecting the North-South Expressway with National Highway 1, remains the same with a route length of about 10.14 km; Component project 2, the section from National Highway 1 to the border of Ca Na Industrial Park (length of about 4.66 km), is adjusted to the section from National Highway 1 to Ca Na General Seaport with a length of about 12.86 km.

Although the project increased by 8.2 km, the total investment was adjusted to decrease by 214,958 billion VND (the total approved investment was 903 billion VND, reduced to 689,042 billion VND). Of which, Component Project 1 decreased by more than 222 billion VND (from more than 651 billion VND to more than 428 billion VND); Component Project 2 increased by more than 9 billion VND (from more than 251 billion VND to more than 260 billion VND).

Notably, the project's capital structure has changed. In Component Project 1, the central budget capital was adjusted down from 610 billion VND to more than 387 billion VND. The reduction of the central budget capital in Component Project 1 is more than 222 billion VND, which is used to replace the socialized capital of the sponsor (Trung Nam Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, more than 213 billion VND) in Component Project 2. The local budget capital in the 2 component projects remains unchanged.

In addition, the land area used for construction of the project was increased from 67.2 hectares to 123.7 hectares (an increase of 56.5 hectares of the additional road section of about 8.2 km).

According to the Management Board of Ninh Thuan Province Traffic Construction Investment Project (the investor, referred to as the Management Board), the project length increased by about 8.2 km compared to the investment policy approved on May 23, 2022 because "to meet the project's objectives, connecting traffic smoothly from the North-South expressway intersection to Ca Na General Seaport to promote project efficiency, creating momentum for the development of important projects in the southern key economic region of the province, it is necessary to adjust the scale of the Project, continue to invest in the route from the starting point of Ca Na Industrial Park to Ca Na General Seaport".

The Management Board said that the total investment of the project decreased due to a decrease in site clearance costs (totaling more than 51 billion VND); a decrease due to the failure to implement phase 2 of component project 1 (more than 81 billion VND); a decrease in construction, project management, and other costs of component project 2 of more than 119 billion VND (roadbed scale of 16 m, road surface of 12 m instead of roadbed of 34 m, road surface of 21 m).

In addition, the project reduced contingency costs (more than 67 billion VND) and construction costs, saving after bidding (more than 45 billion VND) because the time of project preparation, appraisal and approval (January 2022) had higher material prices than the time of preparation, appraisal and approval of construction drawing design and estimate (September 2022).

Regarding the project progress, as of September 20, 2024, Component Project 1 connecting the North-South Expressway to National Highway 1A has completed about 70% of the contract value, and is expected to be completed and put into use in December 2024. However, the project's difficulty is the lack of about 8,000 m3 of fill soil.

At the project inspection on September 20, 2024, Mr. Tran Quoc Nam, Chairman of Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Committee, requested the investor to coordinate with contractors to speed up construction progress, ensure quality, and be determined to open phase 1 of the project by the end of 2024.

At the same time, the investor advised the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan province on the direction of construction of Component Project 2, the section from National Highway 1A to Ca Na General Seaport with a length of about 13 km using the State budget, striving to complete and put the entire project into use in 2025.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/ninh-thuan-tang-chieu-dai-giam-von-dau-tu-du-an-duong-noi-cao-toc-voi-cang-bien-d229917.html