Prime Minister requests urgent development of highway standards

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested to urgently develop standards for expressways.

The telegram sent to the Ministers of the Ministries of Transport, Construction, Science and Technology, Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development; and the Chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities stated:

In recent times, with the strong direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Transport has actively coordinated with ministries, branches and localities to vigorously implement projects to build important national transport infrastructure, initially achieving some encouraging results, contributing to the socio-economic development of the country, creating momentum, confidence and excitement among the people. Of which, 8/11 component projects of the North-South Eastern Expressway in the 2017-2020 period have been put into use, increasing the total length of expressways nationwide to 1,822 km; started construction of 12 component projects of the North-South Eastern Expressway in the 2021-2025 period; started construction of the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, Hanoi Capital Region Ring Road 4 projects; started construction of the passenger terminal of Long Thanh International Airport and the T3 terminal of Tan Son Nhat International Airport; at the same time, continued efforts to start and complete a number of projects in the coming time.

In addition to the achieved results, there are still some shortcomings related to investment in construction of traffic infrastructure such as: some expressways do not have continuous emergency lanes, operating speed is limited; some expressways have only 02 lanes; the arrangement and investment in construction of traffic intersections, especially the width and connection of expressways with the local traffic network to enter industrial parks, urban areas, tourism, and services are still unreasonable; solutions to handle weak ground; research on the use of sea sand for infrastructure construction projects has not met the construction progress of key traffic projects... To promptly resolve these shortcomings, the Prime Minister requested:

1. Ministry of Transport:

a) Regarding the construction and promulgation of expressway design standards:

- Urgently carry out the tasks assigned by the Government in Resolution No. 88/NQ-CP dated June 8, 2023, Resolution No. 144/NQ-CP dated September 10, 2023, develop and promulgate Expressway Design Standards according to authority as a basis for planning, designing, investing in construction and managing the expressway system, connecting intersections; as a basis for determining investment rates, mobilizing appropriate investment capital for expressway construction, ensuring publicity, transparency, efficiency, avoiding loss, waste, and group interests. Completed in October 2023.

- The process of developing the Standards requires studying international experience, summarizing the practice of investment in construction of expressway projects in recent times and ensuring that it is suitable for actual conditions in Vietnam; organizing to collect opinions from ministries, branches, localities, relevant agencies and experts and scientists;

- The content of the Standards should pay attention to regulations on the number of lanes, cross-sections, medians, appropriate design speeds, rest stops, etc.; principles for arranging and organizing intersections and service roads reasonably and scientifically, ensuring synchronous, convenient, safe and effective exploitation and operation, in accordance with the requirements and conditions of socio-economic development of localities and regions, connecting regions, maximizing the investment efficiency of expressways, creating new development space, creating a driving force to promote socio-economic development of localities and regions;

b) Regarding strengthening solutions to handle weak ground:

Urgently direct the review and guide localities (which are the governing bodies and competent authorities implementing expressway projects) to review and strengthen solutions for handling weak ground in projects, especially projects in the Red River Delta and Mekong River Delta to ensure technical requirements and quality of works, especially the loading time must be appropriate to control subsidence; have scientific and reasonable construction organization solutions to ensure both the overall progress of works and projects and the time and technical requirements for handling weak ground, absolutely not allowing technical negligence and handling procedures to affect the quality of works and projects.

c) On research on using sea sand as foundation material for infrastructure projects:

Preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Science and Technology to accelerate the research on using sea sand for foundation construction of infrastructure projects such as expressways, national highways or for leveling industrial parks, urban areas, etc. to reduce dependence on river sand sources, proactively source materials, and accelerate the construction progress of projects in the coming time; at the same time, the use of sea sand must ensure technical standards and not cause negative impacts on the environment. To be completed in October 2023.

2. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall closely coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to thoroughly assess the environmental impacts of using sea sand as embankment material for expressway projects; calculate, identify and delineate sea sand areas, provide guidance on the procedures for exploration, exploitation and environmental impact assessment to promptly exploit it for the construction of expressway projects and other infrastructure construction works immediately after the results of research and assessment are available.

3. Ministries: Science and Technology, Construction, Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development: according to their functions and tasks, proactively and actively coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in developing and promulgating standards on highways; researching the use of sea sand for infrastructure construction projects, completing them according to the above schedule requirements.

4. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities are the competent authorities to implement expressway projects.

a) Urgently implement the direction of the Prime Minister in Official Dispatch No. 769/CD-TTg dated August 26, 2023, coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to review the arrangement of rest stops and intersections connecting expressways with the local and regional traffic networks, ensuring reasonable and appropriate distances, safe and effective exploitation to connect, connect and synchronize expressways and local routes to develop new economic spaces, making the most of the advantages brought by expressways.

b) Direct the review and enhancement of solutions for handling weak ground at projects according to the guidance of the Ministry of Transport at Point b, Clause 1 of this Dispatch, absolutely not allowing technical errors and handling procedures to affect the quality of works and projects.

5. The Government Office regularly monitors and urges the implementation of this Official Dispatch, and periodically reports to the Prime Minister on the implementation results on a monthly basis./.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/thu-tuong-yeu-cau-khan-truong-xay-dung-quy-chuan-ve-duong-bo-cao-toc-363105.html