In recent years, Binh Dinh Province had invested to build many transport routes throughout the province, making up a road network connecting cities with countrysides, plains with coastal and highland areas. The routes partly wake up potentialities of low-income areas which have been departed by poor transport system.

Dieu Tri Bridge. Photo by N.T

* Indispensable routes

Since 2000, Binh Dinh Province has deducted a quite big portion from its budget to upgrade and expand transport network via series of big projects such as upgrading  National Highway 1A and National Highway 19, constructing Quy Nhon - Nhon Hoi Bridge and Road Route, Nhon Hoi - Tam Quan Coastal Route, Go Gang- Cat Tien Route, upgrading provincial road network, concreting rural road network etc.

Among bridges in the province, some play very essential role. They include Thi Nai Bridge which connects two banks of Thi Nai Lagoon and widens Quy Nhon City towards the north, Bong Son Bridge which ensures for increasing traffic circulation on  National Highway 1A, Dieu Tri Bridge which expands important traffic point at gateway to Quy  Nhon City, Truong Thi Bridge (An Nhon Disrtict) which connects Nhon Hoa Commune and southern communes of An Nhon District with its economic-politic centres, etc.

Source of capital for road network expansion during the past 5 years have reached nearly VND 1,800 billion (USD112,500 million), a 4 times increase compared with the past 5 years (1995-2000). Hence, the provincial road network has improved day by day. Total of road length is over 4.100 km, increasing 300 km compared with previous 2000. Quality of the roads is also much better. Out of the 4,100 km, national highways accounts for 207 km. All of them satisfy required standard of tertiary and the 4^th-class inland roads. Nearly 500-km provincial road network meets standard of 5^th-class inland roads; Most of the 286-km inter-commune routes and 1.500-km of 2.250-km rural road network are concreted. 1.600 bridges in the province are built with permanent ferro-concrete, wipping out considerably weak bridges, temporary bridges and wharfs, facilitating safe and convinient traffic.

* New face of the rural areas

Construction of Quy Nhon – Nhon Hoi bridge and road route brings an end to long-lasting traffic obstruction that thousands of Nhon Hoi inslanders faced before. It is considered an open door towards a new prospect of economic - social development in the locality. Now, it takes roughly 5 minutes to travel from Nhon Hoi Island to Quy Nhon City by motorbike. In addition, Quy Nhon – Nhon Hoi bridge and road route in link with Nhon Hoi – Tam Quan coastal route sets up the second north-south essential traffic network, besides the National Highway 1A in Binh Dinh Province, awakening the economic potentialities of regions along the network.

“Since the operation of Nhon Hoi – Tam Quan coastal route, selling price of agricultural produce in region has increased, motivating the local farmers to apply the intensive farming method on different kinds of crop plants. For example, now price of onion, the main plant of Cat Hai Commune, is VND 9.000/kg (roughly 6 cent), increasing VND 6.000/kg (roughly 4 cent) compared with the years before 2004. Therefore, income of the local farmers has increased (roughly VND 4 million/per capita/year)” said Mr. Dang Van Ha – Chairman of Cat Hai Commune (Phu Cat District) People’s Committee.

Besides Cat Hai, other 15 coastal communes of Phu Cat District, Phu My District, Hoai Nhon District which the coastal route runs across  have gained significant benefits.

The construction of the roads and bridges has brought great benefits to the relevant localities. Thanks to Truong Thi Bridge which connects with National Highway 19 crossing Nhon Hoa Commune and Binh Dinh Town, separation of waterway traffic no longer exists. The strategic bridge is not only to expand road network but also to speed up urbanization and modernization course of southern Con River communes. Because of the convenient road network, the local inhabitants dares to develop many economic industries rather than agriculture. Their life standard, therefore, has been improved.

A stretch of Nhon Hoi - Tam Quan coastal road. Photo by N.T

* Futurable routes

Mr. Phan Cao Thang - Director of Binh Dinh Transportation Department says that Binh Dinh Province deducts roughly VND 207 billion (USD 12,937 million) from its local budget and central state budget to cover expenditure of road network expansion in 2007. The province will concentrate on land clearance, compensation policies, etc. for timely implementation of prolonged Nguyen Tat Thanh Street Road Project, Dong Da-Hoa Lu traffic point. It will also speed up implementing procedures of the project of building road connecting from National Highway 1A to Long My Industrial Zone, project of upgrading  National Highway 1D passing Ong Tho crossroad to Hoa Lu Street, project of road leading to Trau Stream, project of upgrading Go Gang-Kien My route, carrying out ADB5 projects (with total USD 5 million investment capital to upgrade province and district routes), carrying out the 3rd rural road project (to upgrade rural road network). In 2007, the estimated VND 386-billion (USD 24,125-million) project of building the 121-km road in the West of Binh Dinh Province will be started. The road will connect  National Highway 19 (An Nhon District) to Chuong Hoa (Hoai Nhon District). The project is expected to complete at the end of 2009. In the second quarter of 2007, Binh Dinh will build An Thai Bridge, crossing Con River, connecting An Nhon District and Tay Son District.

All kinds of transport vehicles, even trucks can now travel easily through Binh Dinh Province. With its on-going and incoming projects, Binh Dinh Province road network will be expanded more and more, actively contributing to Binh Dinh Province development.

• Reported by Ngoc Thai
• Translated by Hong Ha