The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide technical support for Vietnam to better manage and maintain its modern highway system under recently signed a contract in Hanoi on Feb 25. The contract, signed by officials from the JICA and Vietnamese Ministry of Transport, will last 2 years, starting mid-2011. The two sides will select several sections of highways as pilot projects. The JICA will provide operational and maintenance highway skills training for local road managers, Tsuno Motonori, JICA Chief Representative said. The two sides hope that, after the project, Vietnam will be able to more effectively operate and manage its highway system. Under a highway master-plan, Vietnam will have 22 highway routes with a combined length of nearly 6,000 km by 2030. The country has put some routes into operation, including Ho Chi Minh-Trung Luong, Ho Chi Minh-Dau Giay and Cau Gie-Ninh Binh. It is accelerating preparations for some other routes such as Danang-Quang Ngai and Ben Luc-Long Thanh. (Kinh te & Do thi – Economy & Urban Feb 28 p7, www.qdnd.vn [1] Feb 26)
