Traffic Networks as Competitive Advantage for Economic Development

Understanding the importance of transportation infrastructure systems, in the past two decades, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has invested in a lot of large-scale traffic projects. While it had just over 1,000 km of roads, mainly dirt roads and gravel roads in 1991, it now has more than 3,600 km of roads, including over 50 percent of asphalted roads. Roads are built or upgraded in both urban zones (Vung Tau and Ba Ria cities) and rural areas, helping facilitate mobility in the city and boost trade with other localities in the country and other nations in the world.

 

With the support of the Government and international organisations, the transport sector of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has completed many critical infrastructure items like the traffic system in Ba Ria City to relocate the administrative centre of the province to this city, Vung Tau - Binh Thuan coastal corridor route, expanded My Xuan - Ngai Giao - Hoa Binh road system. Traffic route upgrade projects like roads and bridges leading to Go Gang Island and Long Son Island, Road 991B, Phuoc Hoa - Cai Mep Road, Hoi Bai - Chau Pha - Da Bac - Phuoc Tan Road and National Highway 51B are being completed. These facilities are expected to help the province make breakthroughs in the coming time.

 

In addition, the transport sector has focused on planning traffic routes, including interconnected East-West and North-South axis that form the backbone trunk roads in the province. Three national highways, namely 51, 55 and 56, stretching on a total length of 132 km, are arterial roads in Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

 

In 2014, nearly VND1,000 billion will be spent on transport development, of which the central budget will contribute VND550 billion (VND400 billion for Cai Mep - Thi Vai Road and VND150 billion for National Road 56) and the local budget will fund VND391 billion.

 

In addition, with the objective of perfecting traffic connectivity to boost the development of seaport systems, industrial zones and high-tech zones, in 2014, the Department of Transport will continue to focus on infrastructure investment, actively advise the Provincial People's Committee to relocate Vung Tau Airport, plan the construction of logistics hubs and complete infrastructure systems for the Long Son Petrochemical Complex.

 

According to the Department of Transport, together with the development of the country and provinces in the southern key economic zone, Ba Ria - Vung Tau is utilising its advantages and potentials to develop ports and logistics, to build Ba Ria - Vung Tau into a modern port city, and to create the driving force of socioeconomic development for the province in particular and the nation as a whole in the process of international economic integration. To serve port activities, Vung Tau City will soon complete the construction of essential infrastructure, especially the road connecting Cai Mep - Thi Vai port system to national highways, ring roads and Long Thanh Airport, in order to tap the potential of its deepwater ports. Once this route is completed, it will significantly shorten freight transport distance from the ports to Ho Chi Minh City and the greater Southwest region.