Developing Synchronous, Modern and Uninterrupted Transport Network

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung, Director of the Kon Tum Department of Transport

Despite existing hardships, the transport sector of Kon Tum province has still actively mobilized different investment resources to build a synchronous transport infrastructure system in the province.

So far, the local transport infrastructure system has seen remarkable progress with rational networking of national highways, provincial roads and district roads. Kon Tum has nearly 5,943 km of roads, including 444 km of national highways, 414 km of 13 provincial roads, 625 km of district roads, 448 km of urban roads, 950 km of commune roads, and 2,517 km of infield roads. To date, asphalt concreted roads account for more than 20%; cement concreted roads, about 30%; asphalt roads, more than 18%; and soil and gravel roads, about 32%. All communes have automobile-capable roads to their administrative centers and 18 out of 86 communes meet new rural traffic criteria. In addition, Kon Tum province is investing in some important roads linked to national roads and to district roads in remote areas to form a continuous and smooth traffic network.

Not only completing internal roads, Kon Tum has enlisted various capital sources to build roads connected to other provinces in the region, other regions in the country and the world. Over the past years, the province has raised funds from the central government to build and update National Road 14, Ho Chi Minh Road, National Highway 24, National Highway 14C and Truong Son Dong Road to facilitate local economic development. Especially, National Highway 40 linked to National Highway 18B of Laos through Bo Y International Border Gate has formed a transnational high-quality traffic route that connects Kon Tum to Northeast Thailand through southern Laos and opens an exchange route for the province and international friends.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung, Director of the Kon Tum Department of Transport, said, developing a synchronous and modern local transport infrastructure system to promote geographical advantages and meet socioeconomic development requirements is the top target that Kon Tum province in general and the transport sector in particular. In the coming time, the department will continue to coordinate with related departments and agencies to advise the Provincial People’s Committee to work with the Ministry of Transport, other ministries and central authorities to complete investment in important national roads in the province like National Highway 24, National Highway 14C, National Highway 40, National Highway 40B, and Ho Chi Minh Road; and consult the Provincial People’s Committee to work with the Government and the Ministry of Transport to prepare investment in Bo Y - Ngoc Hoi - PleiKu Highway project, National Highway 18B in Attapeu province of Laos, as per Governmental Notice 221/TB-VPCP dated August 5, 2016.

Given limited State budget, the transport sector of Kon Tum province advocates mobilizing investment funds in various forms and methods, and adopting the investment method where both the government and the people work together to build rural roads.

In addition to giving investment priority to upgrade degraded provincial roads like 671, 673, 674, 675, 676, 679 and Dak Koi - Dak Pxi roads, and a route linking to Plei Krong Resettlement Area, the sector has focused on building new provincial roads of special importance for high transportation demand as planned like 675A, 672, 674 and 678. It has worked with local authorities to advise the Provincial People’s Committee to prioritize investment in upgrading and expanding ground roads in their localities. Last but not least, the transport sector of Kon Tum province has focused on directing licensed projects to speed their progress to keep up with the schedule and, at the same time, further tighten construction quality management.

Cong Luan