Proposal to 'upgrade' national highway through rugged mountains and forests in Hue

TPO - Hue City has just proposed the Government to arrange and support capital from the central budget to implement the project of upgrading 70km of National Highway 49F - the vital route connecting Phong Dien seaport (old Phong Dien town) to Hong Van border gate, passing through the city's rugged mountainous area.

VIDEO : National Highway 49F needs to be "upgraded" to open more trade routes between Hue and Laos.

National Highway 49F has the main route of the former Highway 71 connecting the old Phong Dien town with the highland border area of ​​A Luoi, Hue City. On the old Highway 71 route, there are many steep passes, dangerous streams, with the terrain being mainly hills and mountains. The route was used for rescue work, the rescue of the famous natural disaster that occurred in Rao Trang area (former Phong Xuan commune, now Phong Dien ward, Hue) nearly 5 years ago.

Recently, during a working session with the Government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh , the Standing Committee of the Hue City Party Committee proposed many key infrastructure projects to create momentum for socio-economic development. In particular, upgrading National Highway 49F was identified as urgent, along with projects of great significance for the locality such as resettlement to serve the construction of the North-South high-speed railway, the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction or removing obstacles for off-budget projects.

According to the People's Committee of Hue City, National Highway 49F (formerly Highway 71) has a total length of about 100km, running from Phong Dien port to Hong Van border gate, old A Luoi district.

This route was partly formed during the war, currently in addition to the upgraded sections, there is still about 70km from National Highway 1 (Phong Dien ward) to Ho Chi Minh road (old A Luoi district) that has not been invested in.

This is a section that passes through mountainous areas, the road surface is narrow, often at risk of landslides, especially in the rainy season when the streams are always flowing rapidly. With the terrain characteristics of one side being deep abysses, the other side being high mountains, the route is difficult to ensure traffic safety as well as the increasing demand for transporting goods.

In addition to its role as a forestry route with many economic forest areas, National Highway 49F is also considered an economic and trade connecting axis between Vietnam and Laos. A leader of the People's Committee of A Luoi 1 commune said that the national highway section passing through the commune, about 25km long, is currently a dirt road, causing great difficulties for travel and economic development. If upgraded and expanded, the route will facilitate the transportation of agricultural products and goods, stimulate tourism, reduce the load on National Highway 49A and serve the transportation of coal and minerals from Laos to Hue seaports.

In the development orientation, National Highway 49F is determined to be the shortest connecting from Hong Van border gate to Phong Dien seaport. The first section of the route, 17km long from National Highway 1 to Phong Dien seaport, was invested by Hue city and put into operation on the occasion of National Day, September 2. The last section of the route, 13km long from Ho Chi Minh road to Hong Van border gate, has been upgraded by the Ministry of Construction and is expected to be completed in 2026.

Thus, the 70km between National Highway 1 and Ho Chi Minh Road with a total investment of about 5,500 billion VND still has no resources to implement.

According to the People's Committee of Hue City, the demand for transporting coal, bauxite and many other minerals from Laos to Hue seaports is increasing. The upgrading of National Highway 49F not only helps Laos increase its cargo circulation capacity, but also contributes to the effective promotion of industrial parks, border economic zones, the development of trade services, border tourism associated with strengthening national defense and security.

However, to complete the synchronous connection infrastructure, especially Highway 49F, Hue City affirmed that it really needs the attention and support of capital from the Central Government. The investment not only serves the immediate needs but also opens up opportunities to exploit the advantages of seaports and border trade, gradually turning the western and northern areas of the city into new growth drivers.

Regarding the above proposal, the Government Office has just announced the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh at the working session with the Standing Committee of the Hue City Party Committee. Accordingly, the implementation of 70km of National Highway 49F from National Highway 1 to Ho Chi Minh Road in the 2026 - 2030 period is determined to be of important significance in attracting investment, promoting inter-regional development, and helping Laos access seaports. The Deputy Prime Minister requested Hue City to review and arrange medium-term public investment capital; in case of difficulties, the Ministry of Finance will coordinate with the Ministry of Construction and relevant agencies to propose plans and report to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/de-xuat-len-doi-quoc-lo-vuot-rung-nui-hiem-tro-o-hue-post1780641.tpo