Dinh Vu-Cat Hai sea bridge, over 5.44km long, was put into operation on September 2 (Photo: VNA)
Hai Phong (VNA) – A sea bridge that is over
5.44km long, part of Tan Vu-Lach Huyen Highway in the northern port city of Hai
Phong, was put into operation on September 2, becoming one of the longest of
its kind in Southeast Asia.
The inaugural ceremony of the highway’s section
from km2 810 to km15 630 was attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio and officials of some ministries and
localities.
The Tan Vu-Lach Huyen Highway project also forms
part of a project on building infrastructure of Lach Huyen Port, which is set
to become the first international transit port in the north of Vietnam.
With the total length of 15.63km, the road
begins at the intersection with Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway and ends at the gate
of Lach Huyen Port. It has total investment of nearly 11.85 trillion VND (521.4
million USD), including 50.17 billion JPY loaned through Japan’s official
development assistance and 1.8 billion VND covered by the Vietnamese
Government.
The construction of the sea bridge, named Dinh
Vu-Cat Hai, was completed on schedule, in 36 months.
Tan Vu-Lach Huyen Highway is expected to cut
down travel time and reduce risks in transport by ferry and barge. It is also
hoped to help boost Hai Phong’s coastal economic development, attract investors
to projects in Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone, and promote tourism in the
UNESCO-recognised Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve and neighbouring areas.
In his speech, PM Phuc applauded efforts and
responsibility of the Transport Ministry, relevant ministries and sectors,
consultancies, supervisors, contractors, engineers and workers of Vietnam and
Japan who put the project into operation ahead of schedule.
He also thanked Japanese leaders and people,
especially the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) office in Hanoi,
for capital assistance and close coordination in project implementation.
The project has also helped promote the
strategic partnership and friendship between Vietnam and Japan, he added.-VNA