Plan for land along North – South road to open investment attraction "door"

If the master plan for construction along both sides of the southern section of the North – South road is approved, many new projects and investors will definitely be attracted

The southern section of the North – South road (from the intersection with national highway 38B to Hiep bridge) has been put into use.

A detailed plan for the construction land along both sides of the route will open up new opportunities for investment attraction and economic development in the southern region of Hai Duong province as well as regions of Gia Loc and Ninh Giang districts.

Zoning for economic development

The North – South road will have a total length of about 60 km with the scale of a 2nd-grade plain road and a designed speed of 80 km/h.

The construction of the southern section, 18.4 km long, was divided into two phases, one from Hiep bridge to provincial road 392 in Ninh Giang district and one from provincial road 392 to the intersection with national highway 38B in Toan Thang commune, Gia Loc district.

With the task of connecting Ha Noi – Hai Phong expressway, national highway 38B, provincial roads 392 and 396, and Ha Noi's ring road 5, this arterial route has connected and solved trade needs of southern communes of Gia Loc district and western ones of Ninh Giang district.

To maximize the potential of the regional economic development corridor as well as creating a highlight for the southern gateway to the province, the exploitation of land along both sides of the route has been defined as a key task over the past time.

At the end of May 2019, the Office of the provincial Party Committee issued a document announcing Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Manh Hien's direction after inspection of the project to build the southern section of the North – South road.

Accordingly, the provincial People's Committee directed the Department of Construction to preside and coordinate with the People's Committees of Ninh Giang and Gia Loc districts to hire a consultancy to make a plan for both sides of the route for management and exploitation.

The planned area is located to the south of Hai Duong province, in the communes of Hong Duc, Van Phuc, An Duc, Tan Phong, Tan Quang, Hung Long, and Hong Phuc of Ninh Giang district and Toan Thang, Doan Thuong, and Thong Kenh of Gia Loc district with a total area of about 2,300 ha.

Pham Van Quyet, Deputy Head of the Department of Construction's Urban Development Planning Division, said to ensure the development structure and create multi-functional centralized areas along both sides of the road, the planning space was divided into two areas.

Accordingly, Gia Loc district is oriented to develop trade, services, entertainment, high quality medical services, an industrial cluster in Toan Thang commune, and an industrial cluster in Thong Kenh commune.

Ninh Giang district is oriented to develop industry, services, trade, houses for workers, and nine industrial clusters with a scale of 30 – 70 ha each.

With the master plan for both sides of the North – South road, the attraction of investment to the province will be able to avoid fragmentation, confusion, and waste of land, which will cause difficulties for management and loss of urban beauty, and realize the orientation of attracting investment for industrial and service development in a modern direction.

Lever

The approval of the plan for the construction land along both sides of the North – South road will open up new opportunities for investment attraction. In the photo: Hai Anh Garment JSC. has invested in Hong Phuc - Hung Long industrial cluster

The only highlight in attracting investment to industry in the western area of Ninh Giang district is Hong Phuc – Hung Long industrial cluster.

After four years of operation, only three enterprises have invested in the industrial cluster with a filling rate of over 60%.

The completion and use of the southern section of the North – South road will be a lever in attraction of investment to the industrial cluster as well as others in the coming years.

"In the master plan for construction along both sides of the North – South road, most of the land for industry is located in the district. This is a great opportunity for investment attraction, opening up prospect of economic transition in the direction of modern industry for the locality in the time to come," said Nguyen Dinh Tranh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ninh Giang district.

Together with Ninh Giang district, the orientation of development along both sides of the North – South road will bring about employment opportunities for many laborers in Gia Loc district.

"An overall picture of investment attraction and economic development along both sides of the North – South road crossing Gia Loc and Ninh Giang districts is forming. More and more enterprises have expressed their intention to invest in and build factories," said Le Van Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Gia Loc district.

From business perspective, Vu Xuan Hai, Chairman of the Board of Directors cum Director-general of Hai Anh Garment JSC. in Hong Phuc – Hung Long industrial cluster, assessed: "A large industrial production zone will be formed in this whole place. There will be a complex of factories on one side and a service area for experts and laborers as well as utilities attached on the other side. Together with favorable traffic infrastructure, this will be an ideal investment destination for big enterprises and worthy projects."

However, to date, the master plan for construction along both sides of the southern section of the North – South road has yet to be approved.

As multinational enterprises and corporations are speeding up the search for investment locations in the post-Covid-19 period, the plan should be approved soon.

KIEN LONG