The construction of the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Highway needed to be sped up to be completed next year, said Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.
HA NOI –
Hai asked that capital be allocated so the highway's first section linking with Cham Thi Bridge could be opened for traffic in the third quarter.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment was assigned to co-ordinate with the Ministry of Finance to seek investment to connect the first section to National Highway 21.
The two ministries would submit plans of land clearance in Ha Noi, northern Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces for the construction.
The six-lane highway covers 50.3km from National Highway 1A in Ha Noi to National Highway 10 in Nam Dinh Province. It will have a speed limit of 100-120kph. In the first phase, the project will have four lanes with 13 bridges and nines intersections.
The project has disbursed 88 per cent of capital investment and completed 81 per cent of the work.
The Ministry of Finance issued bonds worth VND2.4 trillion (US$115 million).
The project started in early 2006 at an initial cost of VND5.4 trillion ($260 million), sourced from the issuance of bonds under the Government guarantee.
The cost increased to VND8.9 trillion ($428 million) due to price fluctuations and other problems. – VNS