VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has saved VND39.365 trillion from 44 projects after reviewing and making changes to these projects in accordance with Resolution 11/NQ-CP issued by the Government in 2011.

An artist’s impression of Binh Khanh Bridge of Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway

According to a report submitted by the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau to the ministry on Monday, the total investment saving included VND34.124 trillion from 19 projects reviewed as of last December and VND5.241 trillion from 25 projects rechecked in the first seven months of this year.

The report also pointed out that many projects have been estimated to require much more capital than needed as the designs of their many components are not appropriate and unnecessary. The bureau said reviews had helped save an average of nearly VND900 billion from each project.

Significant investment costs were reduced for a number of major transport projects whose work recently began after their designs were adjusted and unnecessary components were removed. These projects included Ben Luc-Long Thanh and Danang-Quang Ngai expressways.

The Ministry of Transport approved Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway to be built with a total length of 58.5 kilometers and at a cost of VND31.32 trillion. However, the investment of this project was adjusted up by VND10 trillion when it was about to get off the ground due to rising labor costs and prices of building materials.

To keep the investment close to the approved level, the ministry had to adjust the design, initially-planned speed and replace some viaducts with roads, and the Phuoc Khanh and Binh Khanh bridges of this project were also changed from steel to reinforced concrete. The adjustments led to a cost reduction of VND8.464 trillion.

The investment of 139-kilometer Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway was also slashed by over VND3 trillion after its components were reconsidered. Previously, this project was approved at VND27.968 trillion.

Similarly, VND3.3 trillion was cut at Hanoi-Haiphong Expressway.

According to the bureau, the design adjustments and the investment cuts of the transport projects do not affect their quality as only unnecessary components are removed.

At the seventh session of the 13th National Assembly held in Hanoi in May, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang threw his support behind using some VND35 trillion saved from transport projects to help fishermen build new boats.

The ministry projected 155 projects to get off the ground and be completed this year.  Of these projects, 78 had been finished in the year to July.

SGT/VNN