Road of happiness

National Highway No.16 has been called “The path of happiness”.

Over ten years ago, people in mountainous border communes such as My Ly, Bac Ly, Mai Son and Nhon Mai had to pass through the path or go along the Nam Non river using canoes to the centre of the communes. Travel among the villages in the border area is more difficult.

Due to the difficulties in travel, essential goods from the lowlands were three or four times more expensive than the original prices; meanwhile, agricultural, cattle and poultry products were sold at very cheap prices. Therefore, all local people have had the same aspiration of having a proper road.

The locals’ desire came true when Nghe An province invested in the building of a road in the west of the province (called Provincial Highway No.543) at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters. The legendary road, which was put into operation in 2015, is like a silk strip in the middle of the sky, winding around the high mountains. It runs through villages in ten communes across the mountainous districts of Que Phong, Tuong Duong and Ky Son and connects National Highway No.7 and No.48. As a result, the local people along the border line can now travel easily.

More particularly, in late 2015, the Ministry of Transport decided to transfer and upgrade the road connecting the districts in the western region of Thanh Hoa province and Provincial Highway No.543 with National Highway No.16. This is a fifth-grade mountainous road with its first point at Km190 adjacent to Thanh Hoa province and the last at Km406 in Muong Xen town, Ky Son district. It connects with National Highway No.7 at Km204. It has become an important border route linking Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces. National Highway No.16 also connects the regions in the border areas, the 30a border districts and the communes in western Nghe An.

In the past, it took 6-7 hours for the locals to go from Muong Xen town in Ky Son district to Kim Son town in Que Phong district or vice versa. Once the road was completed, the local people in the border district can complete this trip in under three hours.

Vice Chairman of Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong district), Va Ba Tinh, said that in 2003, he and his two other friends in Huoi Co hamlet took two days to travel to their secondary school in Hoa Binh town. Since National Highway No.16 was put into operation, it takes around four hours to travel from Huoi Co to Hoa Binh town.

He also noted that, thanks to the highway, there is now a road for cars to travel to the border village of Huoi Co; therefore, goods are now conveniently circulated.Traders can buy passion fruit in the village easily, helping villagers earn an income of billions of Vietnamese dongs per year. As a result, Huoi Co has become the first border village in Nghe An to be recognised as a new-style rural area.

Secretary of My Ly communal Party Committee, Le Van Lieu, said that over ten years ago, it took nearly two days for the locals of Muong Xen town ,50km far from My Ly commune three days to travel to Hoa Binh town. However, now they spend only 1.5 hours going to Muong Xen and just over three hours travelling to Hoa Binh.

In addition, trading activities in My Ly commune are now more convenient as there are more than ten vehicles carrying passengers and goods from Vinh city and Muong Xen town to the mountainous commune and vice versa. Accordingly, local agricultural products are being sold more easily.

Almost all households in the locality now have motorbikes instead of the motorboats from the past. In the villages connected to the national power grid, 70-80% of households now have televisions and refrigerators.

The highway has helped the communal authorities re-plan the residential area, moving households along the Nam Non river that were at the risk of landslide to along the highway, as well as gradually forming service and trade areas.

Major Hoang The Tai from My Ly Border Guard said that thanks to the National Highway No.16, the travel and operations of soldiers is easier and that they can thoroughly grasp any situation and address events quickly, ensuring maximum security and defence in the border area.

Many residential areas, with spacious houses and bustling trading points, are also now along the highway.

The locals, especially young people, have actively expanded farms and joined trading and service activities as well seeking jobs in enterprises and labour exports.

Secretary of Ky Son district’s Party Committee Vi Hoe said that National Highway No.16 is a strategic route for socio-economic development, social welfare, security and defence in the border districts to the west of Nghe An Province.

Favourable travel and trade conditions have encouraged local people to develop their production and consumption of agricultural products. As a result, Ky Son has formed and developed many production models such as passion fruit, Ky Son ginger, medicinal plants, and shan tuyet tea.

In addition, thanks to the smooth traffic, the district has called for investment in tourism, especially community-based and adventure tourism.

The Secretary of Ky Son Party Committee Vi Hoe emphasised: “National Highway No.16 will contribute to awakening the potential of this remote border area; helping ethnic minority people develop economic models to escape from poverty; and maintaining social welfare, security and defence”.

Source: Nhan Dan Online