VIETNAM, July 27 - NINH BÌNH — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính inspected the construction progress of the East-West road project in the northern province of Ninh Bình on Thursday.

The road links the westernmost point with the easternmost point of the province, from Nho Quan mountainous district to Kim Sơn coastal district. It also connects the nation’s important traffic axes, including the eastern North-South Expressway, Hồ Chí Minh Road, National Highway 1A, the coastal road from Quảng Ninh Province to Thanh Hoá Province, and the North-South railway.

The project has been identified by Ninh Bình as a key work that needs to be completed as soon as possible to create a driving force and a breakthrough in the province's socio-economic development in the immediate future.

Currently, construction is underway on the project’s first 23km section and is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.

PM Chính said that once complete, the road will help open up a new development space for the province, and contribute to reducing the traffic overload for Ninh Bình City and other localities of the province.

He asked Ninh Bình to focus on performing its key tasks, especially building and submitting the provincial master plan for approval in accordance with the Planning Law in the third quarter of 2023.

The Government leader stressed the need to speed up disbursement of public investment, as well as implementation of national target programmes. — VNS