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Quarter-billion dollar Hai Van mountain tunnel to strengthen transport backbone

Date: September 04, 2000

CONSTRUCTION work on a $251-million tunnel through the treacherous Hai Van pass commenced last week.

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Transport and Communications Minister Le Ngoc Hoan were keynote speakers at a groundbreaking ceremony held to launch the project on the mountainous coast of Thua Thien-Hue province.

"The proposed Hai Van tunnel should play an important role in the country's overall development," the prime minister told participants at the ceremony.

The completion of the tunnel was crucial to the upgrade of National Highway 1, the backbone of the country's transportation industry, he said, adding the tunnel should be fully operational by the end of 2004.

The proposed tunnel is expected to run between Phu Loc district in Thua Thien-Hue province and Lien Chieu Industrial Park in Da Nang.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JB1C) has pledged lo finance 85 per cent of the project's total cost with official development assistance loans.

Nippon Koei of Japan, Louis Berger International from the US and Vietnam's Tedi earlier this year formed a consortium and won the construction tender for the project.

"This is a golden opportunity for Vietnamese workers to approach and gel experiences from advanced technology," said Tran Van Minh, general director of Cienco 06, one of the project's subcontractors.

Hai Van pass has become infamous as an accident hotspot over recent years. More than 20 accidents are reported along the 23-kilo-meire stretch of road every year

(Source: Vietnam Investment Review)

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