The Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiết expressway has a length of 100.8km, the entire route passes through Binh Thuan province and to date, after more than 14 months of operation, there is only one temporary rest stop on this expressway.
There are 2 rest stops on the Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiết expressway at two locations: Km 144+560 in Tuy Phong district and Km 205+092 in Ham Thuan Bac district. Each stop covers an area of 10 hectares, including both sides of the route. Currently, land clearance has not been carried out at these two locations because the two rest stops are not included in the land use plan for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, of Ham Thuan Bac district and Tuy Phong district.
In an interview with reporters, Mr. Pham Quoc Huy, Executive Director of the Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiết expressway (Project Management Board 7, Ministry of Transport) said that an investor has been selected for the project to build and operate the rest stops at Km144+560 and Km205+092 on the Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiết section. Currently, the project contract is being negotiated with the investors.
Regarding the progress of land clearance for the construction of the two rest stops, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued a document agreeing to add these locations to the land use plan for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, of Ham Thuan Bac district and Tuy Phong district under a streamlined procedure. Normally, the addition process would take about a year, but with the streamlined procedure, it will be shorter, depending on the local implementation coordination.
However, even with the streamlined procedure, starting now will still be slower than the planned schedule. Therefore, a solution to keep up with the progress has been proposed, Mr. Huy added.
According to the plan, the compensation cost for land clearance will be estimated, and then the investor will advance the money to pay the landowners at the construction site of the rest stop. This will allow the landowners to agree to hand over the land for construction while the legal procedures are being completed, and the remaining amount will be paid to the landowners later.
“Currently, in Ham Thuan Bac district, the investor has transferred money to the local authorities to advance payment to the landowners. In Tuy Phong district, the local authorities have not yet determined the cost for each household for the investor to pay, so we are urging the local authorities to try to make the payments within August to hand over the land for construction,” Mr. Pham Quoc Huy, Executive Director of the Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiết expressway, added.
Accelerating the progress of the two rest stops on the Vĩnh Hảo - Phan Thiết expressway to meet the essential needs for rest, refueling, and sanitation for drivers and travelers on this expressway is very necessary.
