Last Friday, Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Tuan played host to a group of visitors from the World Bank (WB) Viet Nam.

Vice Chairman Tuan (front row, second left) meeting with a group of visitors from the WB Viet Nam

On behalf of the guests, Mr Dang Duc Cuong, a senior urban specialist from WB Viet Nam cum Head of the Da Nang Sustainable City Development Project, said that the progress of the project has been ensured over the past 6 months.

Mr Cuong also agreed with the proposal made by the municipal authorities to increase daily capacity of the Hoa Xuan wastewater treatment plant from 40,000m³ to 60,000m³, and replace 600mm-diametre sewage pipes along Vo Nguyen Giap with up to 2,000mm-diametre ones.  The aim is to meet the wastewater treatment demand from the local urban development.  In addition, he asked the local authorities to soon re-approve a plan for building drainage systems across the city due to adding the Hoa Vang District in this plan.

Mr Cuong noted that the construction of a 70.2 million USD Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is progressing slower than scheduled.  However, the building of a road tunnel at the intersection of Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Tri Phuong streets is being accelerated.  The completion of this tunnel will help to facilitate the acceleration of the construction of other related items.

As for the building of strategic traffic streets with a total investment capital of 94.7 million USD, 70% of the construction work of the extended Nguyen Tat Thanh Street has been already completed, and it is expected to be completed by late December.  The deadline for fully completing a ring road linking Hoa Phuoc with Hoa Khuong communes in Hoa Vang District will be extended to mid-2018 instead of 29 March 2018 due to delays in site clearance work.  WB will conduct a public bidding for the upgrading of 9.2km of DH2 Street connecting Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Nhon and Hoa Son communes before 5 November.

Mr Cuong also remarked that a total of 10 million USD from capital savings through public biddings would be spent on re-arranging the traffic network at the western end of the Rong (Dragon) Bridge.  Additional 10 million USD also from the capital savings will be used for upgrading waste water collection systems along coastal areas on the eastern side of the city. 

He added that WB agreed with the Quang Nam authorities to open a BRT route connecting Da Nang and the province’s Hoi An City in the near future.

In reply, Vice Chairman Tuan remarked that construction categories of the Da Nang Sustainable City Development Project have been implemented as scheduled.  Focus has been on quickly handling some problems arising during the construction progress, and accelerating site clearance, compensation and resettlement works. 

Special attention will be paid to completing the construction of a ring road linking Hoa Phuoc with Hoa Khuong commune and the extended Nguyen Tat Thanh Street ahead of their schedules.

Importance will be attached to opening more 12 bus routes next year in order to enhance the city’s local public transport service.

Mr Tuan added that the local authorities are considering 3 options for traffic re-arrangement at the western end of the Rong Bridge in order to select the best one for easing traffic congestion at the intersection during peak hours, and satisfying the city’s future traffic development strategies.