Da Nang has rushed to complete a traffic-easing tunnel project at one of the city’s busiest roundabouts before the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) which will begin on 6 November.

The road tunnel — VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Work on the tunnel at the intersection of Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Tri Phuong streets began 11 months ago, according to the city’s Management Board of the Priority Infrastructure Projects.  The 220 billion VND (9.77 million USD) road tunnel project, part of the city’s World Bank-funded sustainable development project, will replace the existing ground-level intersection with a system of 160m-long open air tunnels and 80m underground tunnels.  It is now technically completed, though not yet open to traffic. There will be 2 lanes for Bus Rapid Transit along with another 2 lanes for other vehicles. 

This work is the second of its kind to be built in the city after the first taking Tran Phu under Le Duan officially opened to traffic on 30 April.  In addition, it is one of the key projects in the city’s strategies to promote public transport and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network.

Mr Nguyen Huu Tuan, the Deputy General Director of Thuan An Construction and Trading JSC, a construction unit of the project, said the tunnel’s opening was timed to coincide with AELW which the city is hosting for the first time.

“We have completed the technical inspection before opening to traffic.  We accelerated the construction schedule to complete the project in time before the APEC summit week,” Mr Tuan remarked.

“We had some items delays, but our construction workers worked through the nights to complete the tunnel ahead of the schedule,” Mr Tuan affirmed.

The city also plans to build a metro, tramway, and underground and sky train between 2020 and 2030.

With a population of one million, Da Nang’s current public transit system is not meeting the needs of local residents.  Only 1% of the 2.5 million daily journeys in the city are made by public transport service.

Da Nang, Viet Nam’s third largest city, has invested in urban development to become the largest city in the central region and a ‘green’ city by 2025, with funds from the World Bank.

In 2013, the World Bank agreed to provide 202 million USD for a 272 million USD sustainable development project to help build the city’s Bus Rapid Transit Network, lay new roads and revamp the drainage system.

The bank also funded a 5-year priority infrastructure project for the city, by covering 70% of the total cost of 218.4 million USD.

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)