First section of Bac Giang – Lang Son Expressway technically open

(LSO) – The first section the Bac Giang – Lang Son Expressway, from Bac Giang city of Bac Giang province to Chi Lang district of Lang Son province, was technically opened on September 29.

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, officials of the Government Office and relevant ministries and sectors, along with representatives of some neighbouring provinces. Lang Son officials at the event included Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Hoang Van Nghiem, Standing Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council; and Ho Tien Thieu, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

Work on the Bac Giang – Chi Lang section of the Bac Giang – Lang Son Expressway began in 2015 and was resumed in 2017 after some delays due to certain difficulties.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung addresses the ceremony.

The 64-km stretch features four lanes and two emergency ones, and has a designed speed of 100km per hour.

Invested with over 12 trillion VND (516.9 million USD) in total, the expressway project runs parallel to National Highway 1A and is part of a plan to develop an expressway network linking Hanoi and Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son province.

After more than two years of construction, the Bac Giang – Chi Lang section is now qualified for becoming technically open. That is thanks to drastic efforts by authorities of Lang Son and Bac Giang and locals’ support for site clearance for the project.

The technical opening of the section, which is scheduled to be put into official use in early 2020, will help improve transportation capacity, reduce traffic accidents, and create a new driving force for socio-economic growth in nearby provinces.

Vice Chairman of the Lang Son provincial People’s Committee Ho Tien Thieu addresses the ceremony.

The on-schedule completion of the project also illustrated domestic contractors and investors’ capacity of coordinating with local administrations to carry out major transport infrastructure projects.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Lang Son provincial People’s Committee Ho Tien Thieu said the on-schedule implementation of the expressway’s first section shows the determination of the investor and the People’s Committees of Lang Son and Bac Giang provinces in settling problems facing the project. Particularly, with the support of more than 6,000 households affected by the project implementation, work has been carried out as planned.

To put the section into official use soon, he asked the investor and contractors to promptly complete the remaining works and maintain the facilities in line with regulations.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung and officials of Lang Son province, ministries and sectors cut the ribbon to technically open the Bac Giang – Chi Lang section.

In his speech, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung highly valued the investor and the Lang Son provincial People’s Committee’s efforts to help the project be completed on schedule.

He requested the investor to swiftly perfect the remaining works and ensure their quality. Meanwhile, the People’s Committees of Lang Son and Bac Giang provinces need to update their planning on infrastructure development, especially economic infrastructure, to optimize the expressway project. They should also pay attention to developing transport infrastructure linking the expressway with other existing and future transport facilities.

Besides, the Ministry of Transport was told to work with Lang Son province to complete preparations for building the road’s second section, from Chi Lang to Huu Nghi Border Gate, and the expressway from Dong Dang township of Lang Son to Tra Linh Border Gate of Cao Bang province./.