Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony held in Dong Khe Town, Thach An District, Cao Bang Province, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee cum Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee of Cao Bang Hoang Xuan Anh affirmed that the expressway would help Cao Bang to be “closer” to Hanoi and other economic and cultural centres across the country, while facilitating the province in attracting more investment and utilising its strengths and potentials in socio-economic development progress.
The VND21 trillion (US$900 million) highway has four lanes, allowing maximum travel speeds of up to 80 km/h and helping reduce travel time from Cao Bang to Hanoi from 6-7 hours to just over three hours.
In its first phase, about 93 km of the project from Tan Thanh Border Gate in Lang Son Province to Phuc Sen Commune in Quang Hoa District (Cao Bang) will be built from 2020 to 2024. In the second phase, post 2025, the project will continue on about 22 km from Quang Hoa to Tra Linh Border Gate in Cao Bang.
The expressway is expected to make an important contribution to creating a new economic corridor from Lach Huyen International Port in Hai Phong City to Lang Son and Cao Bang and stretching to Chongqing - Urumqi (China) - Khorgos (Kazakhstan) and to European countries and vice versa, thereby, creating a new driving force for the socio-economic development of the two provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang by facilitating the border-gate economy and increasing import and export turnover, especially the export of agricultural products to China.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lai Xuan Mon, Secretary of the Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee, emphasised that the event marking the 70th anniversary of Cao Bang Liberation Day (October 3, 1950-2020) was of important significance as it helped solve one of the major obstacles "preventing" Cao Bang from developing its infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure.
As the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway would help facilitate Cao Bang connection to rise, Mon asked the whole political system in Cao Bang and investors to remove difficulties and ensure that the expressway project is implemented safely, ensuring both quality and progress.
On the occasion, Cao Bang launched an architectural design competition for some works along the expressway. The winners are expected to be announced at the end of December this year, with one first prize worth VND1 billion as well as second, third and consolation prizes to be awarded.
