Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loanworth 188 million USD to improve and upgrade 198 km of roads in Vietnam’s mountainousnorthwest region.
The improved roads, which will connect several remote areas of the region tothe Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway, will boost the area’s trade with two neighbouringcountries, Laos and China.
With climate-resilient features such as slope protection in areas prone to landslidesand rockfalls, the project will provide the area’s population reliable accessto basic social services, such as education, health care, job training, andemergency disaster relief.
According to ADB, Vietnam’s northwest region, which includes the provinces ofDien Bien, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Son La, and Yen Bai, has not benefitedfrom the backbone of the northwest region’s road network, the Noi Bai-Lao CaiExpressway, which is part of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Kunming-HaiPhong Transport Corridor that connects the Hanoi Region to China’s Yunnanprovince. That is because the national and provincial road networks are largelyincomplete, and the condition of the existing roads is generally poor. Theexisting roads are also prone to natural disasters, such as flash flood,landslides.
The project aims to help the region overcome those difficulties by ensuringhigh standards for road construction and addressing the risks posed by climatechange. It will also run an awareness campaign for road safety to help theresidents in these disadvantaged areas deal with increased traffic speed andvolume on the expressway.
“The project will help the Government of Vietnam develop the region byenhancing agriculture, tourism, and border trade,” ADB Principal TransportSpecialist Witoon Tawisook in said in the bank’s news release. “It will alsoconnect the underdeveloped region with the economic centres of the country,attract private investment, and create jobs for the local population.” - VNA
VNA
