VietNamNet Bridge – The Thang Long Project Management Unit has submitted a plan for the upgrade of the Noi Bai-Bac Ninh Road to the transport ministry.

A part of the Noi Bai-Bac Ninh Road. The road will be upgraded with a total investment of more than VND2.2 trillion (US$107.6 million). — Photo of healthplus.vn

The project proposes a total investment of more than VND2.2 trillion (US$107.6 million) on a build-operate-transfer basis.

The road, measuring more than 33km in length, begins in Thanh Xuan Commune in Ha Noi's Soc Son District and ends in Vo Cuong Ward in Bac Ninh Province's Bac Ninh City.

According to Ha Noi's plan by 2020 with the vision of 2050, which has been submitted for approval of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, the Noi Bai-Bac Ninh Road will become an urban axis of the capital city.

The Noi Bai-Bac Ninh Road is also an important route in the city's traffic network and in the economic triangle connecting Ha Noi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh.

Thus in a short-term period from now till 2025, the surface of the road will be upgraded following highway's norms. After 2025, the municipal authorities will consider plan to further upgrade it based on the approved plan.

Initially, they were three options designed for the proposed project.

Under the first option, more than 1km at the beginning of the road and nearly 1km at the end of the road will be widened, and the remaining 30km or so will be upgraded to the level of a highway. About VND2.4 trillion ($116.6 million) will be needed, with a payback period of 21 years and seven months.

The second option is quite similar to the first option, but the 30km mid-section of the road will be upgraded to a road with a speed limit of 120km per hour. More than VND2 trillion ($95.2 million) will be needed, with a payback period of 14 years and 11 months.

Under the third option, as many as 1.75km at the beginning of the road and 0.8km at the end of the road will be widened, and the remaining 31km will be upgraded to the level of a highway. Nearly VND2.2 trillion ($107.6 million) will be needed, with a payback period of 16 years and three months.

After considering the three options, the Thang Long Project Management Unit proposed the third option.

VNS