Prime Minister requests early investment in upgrading 2-lane highway

Review and report to the Prime Minister in March

On February 21, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Official Dispatch No. 16 requesting to accelerate research and investment in upgrading expressways currently in operation and under investment in phases.

Telegrams sent to the ministers of the following ministries: Public Security, Transport, Planning and Investment, Finance, Science and Technology, Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development; Chairman of the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises; Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

Thủ tướng yêu cầu sớm đầu tư nâng cấp cao tốc 2 làn xe- Ảnh 1. — The Prime Minister directed to urgently study investment plans and upgrade two-lane highways.

According to the dispatch, the capital demand for investment in the expressway system is very large, while resources are limited; in order to meet the socio-economic development needs of localities and regions, the Ministry of Transport and localities have researched and proposed to invest in a number of expressway routes on a phased scale.

The early putting into operation of expressways has contributed to promoting socio-economic development.

However, the operation of expressways with a divergent scale still has some limitations such as potential risks of traffic safety, traffic congestion, and traffic accidents such as the accident that occurred on February 18 on the Cam Lo - La Son expressway.

The Prime Minister has issued many documents directing ministries and agencies to study and overcome these limitations.

To promptly overcome existing problems and limitations, enhance traffic safety, and improve the efficiency of exploiting expressways, the Prime Minister requested the Minister of Transport to direct relevant agencies to immediately study solutions to organize traffic reasonably, scientifically, effectively, and best control traffic activities to ensure traffic safety on expressways of different scales, ensuring the lives, health, and property of the people.

The Ministry of Transport shall preside over and coordinate with relevant localities to urgently study investment plans and upgrade expressways that have been invested in phases to reach the scale of complete expressways, in accordance with design standards and transportation needs. In particular, the earliest investment will be focused on expressways with a scale of 2 lanes.

At the same time, review and supplement fully and synchronously infrastructure works on the route such as intelligent traffic systems, rest stops, etc. This needs to be reported to the Prime Minister in March 2024.

The Government requests urgent coordination with the Minister of Science and Technology to direct the development and promulgation of National Technical Regulations on expressways in the first quarter of 2024, as a basis for organizing planning, design, investment management, construction and safe and effective operation of expressways.

At the same time, urgently organize the acceptance and settlement of expressway investment projects with different scales to soon implement investment and upgrade to a complete expressway scale according to expressway standards and regulations.

Preside over and coordinate with localities to determine the scope, boundaries, cleared areas, and areas that need to be cleared to carry out investment and upgrade expressways to reach the scale of complete expressways, especially for expressways with 2 lanes.

Check black spots, minimize accidents

The Prime Minister requested the Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to urgently study and propose investment plans to upgrade expressways that have been and are being invested in according to a phased scale, and send them to the Ministry of Transport before March 15.

In addition, closely coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to review and implement site clearance work to serve investment and upgrade expressways.

The Chairman of the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises has directed the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) to urgently research and propose investment plans to upgrade the expressways currently under its management and operation in phases. This task must also be completed and sent to the Ministry of Transport before March 15.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Public Security to direct the strengthening of propaganda, inspection, control, and strict punishment of acts causing traffic insecurity and violations of traffic laws.

The Ministry of Public Security needs to coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to continue reviewing black spots and potential traffic accident spots to have timely solutions to overcome and minimize unfortunate traffic accidents.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha was assigned to directly direct ministries, agencies and localities to carry out the tasks assigned in the telegram to speed up the progress of investment in upgrading expressways in operation and under investment in stages.

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