Provincial Road 521E is degraded and needs to be upgraded soon to meet the needs of socio -economic development in border communes.
Provincial Road 521E is 25.9km long, starting at the intersection with National Highway 15C at Ten Tan, Muong Lat commune, and ending at the Vietnam-Laos border marker (marker 294) in Muong Chanh commune. Previously, this route was invested in construction according to the standards of a grade VI mountainous road, with a roadbed width of only 6.5m and a road surface width of 3.5m. For many years, this has been the main road connecting the western communes of the old Muong Lat district, serving the needs of travel and transportation of goods and agricultural products between remote villages with the centers of communes and neighboring areas.
Over time, combined with the impact of storms and floods, rugged terrain and increasing traffic volume, the road has become increasingly degraded. In many places, the road surface has peeled off, with potholes appearing; the foundation is weak, drainage ditches are damaged, and there is a potential risk of landslides in many sections, making traffic unsafe, especially during the rainy and stormy season.
Mr. Vi Van Thiep in Mong village, Quang Chieu commune proposed: “Every rainy season, provincial road 521E has many damaged and landslide spots. The road has many curves, but the road surface is small and narrow, which can easily cause collisions between vehicles. People hope that the State will pay attention to investing and upgrading the road to make traveling less difficult.”
Sharing the same sentiment, Mr. Lo Van Chuan, a small trader in Muong Chanh commune, shared: “To bring vegetables to the district market to sell, I have to leave at dawn because the road is degraded, so the vehicles carrying goods have to move slowly. On days when it rains heavily, it is difficult to move, not to mention if there is a landslide, I have to stay behind.”
Faced with the above shortcomings, people in Muong Chanh and Quang Chieu communes have repeatedly reflected and made recommendations through voter meetings. Most recently, at the 24th Session of the 18th Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Council, voters of the old Muong Lat district hoped that the Provincial People's Committee would soon consider and invest in upgrading the entire Provincial Road 521E, especially the section from Ten Tan intersection to landmark 294.
According to the investigation, based on the synthesis of recommendations, the Provincial People's Committee has issued Report No. 69/BC-UBND dated April 23, 2025 to the Provincial People's Council, stating: The recommendations of the people are completely appropriate, necessary and legitimate. However, because investing in large-scale traffic routes requires a very high budget, while the provincial budget for the 2021-2025 period is still limited, it is not possible to allocate resources to upgrade the entire route.
To address the people's petitions, the Provincial People's Committee has recently prioritized ensuring traffic safety by implementing regular maintenance and repair work, and at the same time performing periodic repairs and emergency repairs of severely damaged sections. Specifically, in 2023, the province has allocated about 7.6 billion VND; in 2024, the province has allocated 15.2 billion VND and in 2025, about 14 billion VND, for upgrading and repairing, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025.
However, according to many people, small-scale repairs are only a temporary solution and cannot completely resolve the existing problems of the road. The difficulty is that after each rainy season, the road is damaged again, even worse than before. In the long term, people hope that the province will soon have a long-term investment plan, rebuilding the roadbed and expanding the solid road surface so that people can confidently develop the economy and maintain border security.
In reality, when the transportation system is not guaranteed, the implementation of border development policies such as new rural construction, population stabilization, and income improvement for ethnic minorities will encounter many obstacles. In addition, provincial road 521E is also a strategic route for national defense and security, serving the patrolling and control of border areas and handling emergency situations, requiring a commensurate infrastructure.
Article and photos: Dinh Giang
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/kien-nghi-nang-cap-nbsp-mo-rong-duong-tinh-521e-254538.htm
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