Construction set to begin on five projects in Vietnam

Text of report in English by Vietnamese news agency VNA web site. The following are five major projects, which will begin to be built in the country this year:

The 2,400 MW Son La hydro-electric power plant will be built on the Da river in the northern mountainous province of Son La, at an estimated cost of US$2.6bn. Construction will start late this year and be completed before 2010. Site clearance for the project is under way.

The construction of the second production line in the Nghi Son Cement Plant, which will have a capacity of 2.15Mta, will begin late this year with an investment capital of US$249m . The project will also include the construction of a 0.5Mta cement distribution station in central Khanh Hoa Province and purchase of two ships for cement transport. When the project is completed in early 2008, the plant will have a total capacity of 4.3Mta.

Vinh Tuy bridge at a length of 5,548m will be built across the Hong river in Hanoi at an estimated cost of US$281m. Construction will start in February when the country marks the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

A 197km section, running from northern Lao Cai Province to Doan Hung District of mid-land Phu Tho Province, of Highway 70 will be upgraded to four lanes. The upgrade will help facilitate travel from Kunming, China, via the Hakou border gate to Hai Phong city of Vietnam. The total cost is estimated at 370m USD to be met by government bonds. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter and to be completed by the end of 2008.

The enlarged Lang-Hoa Lac express way, linking Hanoi with Highway No 21, will be 140 m wide, five times the current width. Construction on the 29.26 km road will start in the second quarter of 2005 at an estimated cost of 330m USD. The project is expected to be completed by 2007.