The groundbreaking of component project 1 of the expressway on May 20 marks an important milestone for the smooth implementation of the project, shortening travel time between Điện Biên and Hà Nội as well as key economic regions.

Ready to yield land for the project

Component project 1 focuses on compensation, support, resettlement, and site clearance before starting the construction of the expressway. Carrying out relocation and resettlement first demonstrates the province’s determination to care for the lives of ethnic minority people who yield land for the project. The family of Lò Văn Quy in Lịch Tở village, Mường Lạn commune is among the households subject to relocation to implement the project. The spacious 2-story house, which they have been attached to for many years, is now within the clearance area, so moving to a new place makes him inevitably anxious.

Lò Văn Quy shared: “Initially, it was very regrettable because we are used to living here. But thinking again, once the road is finished, traveling will be more convenient, goods will be easier to sell, and our descendants will have conditions to develop in the future. For the common good, my family agrees to move out.”

In Mường Phăng commune, the family of Lò Văn Thư in Khẩu Cắm village is subject to relocation, yielding land for the project. Instead of worrying, when informed about the policy and investment plan for the expressway, he and his family quickly agreed.

“Moving to a new place will certainly bring changes, but my family determines that this is a correct policy, for the common good. When the State builds roads for development, the people must support it; we take a step forward so that our descendants can benefit later,” Lò Văn Thư said.

Not only the families of Lò Văn Quy and Lò Văn Thư, nearly 300 households across the 3 communes of Mường Ảng, Mường Lạn, and Mường Phăng have to relocate and yield land for the project. The workload is massive, directly relating to the lives of many households, but thanks to the effective dissemination and mobilization work, the majority of households agree and are ready to hand over the site.

Trần Văn Tuấn, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Mường Phăng commune, stated: According to the planning, the expressway will pass through the commune with a length of about 13.45km. It is expected that 37 households must relocate and more than 145 hectares of land need to be cleared to serve the project. The project scope passes through 11 villages; up to now, all residents in the affected area agree and support it. People clearly understand that when the construction is completed, it will create favorable conditions for traveling and trading goods, contributing to promoting socio-economic development and improving living standards.

Paving the way to the future

Possessing many typical agricultural products such as rice, coffee, macadamia, green squash, pineapple, and green vegetables, the consumption of Điện Biên’s products still faces many difficulties. The long distance from large consumption centers, limited traffic infrastructure, and high transportation costs make it difficult for agricultural products to reach further, affecting competitiveness and outlet expansion. The investment project for the Sơn La - Điện Biên - Tây Trang Border Gate expressway section is therefore expected to help remove the “bottleneck,” creating conditions to increase the value of local agricultural products.

Hà Thị Thanh Tâm, Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Mường Ảng commune, shared: “The Party Committee, government, and people in the area place high expectations on positive changes when the expressway is completed. By then, connecting Mường Ảng with other localities will be more convenient, creating conditions to promote agricultural production strengths, especially coffee trees and OCOP products. The route is expected to expand the consumption market, attract investment, create more jobs, and improve people’s income.”

Nguyễn Xuân Huy, Director of Noong Luống General Agricultural Cooperative, said: “Currently, the cost of transporting goods from Điện Biên to other provinces is quite high, and the long travel time greatly affects product consumption. When the expressway is completed, transportation will be more convenient, reducing costs, shortening time, helping agricultural products maintain quality, and making it easier to access the market.”

The investment project for the Sơn La - Điện Biên - Tây Trang Border Gate expressway section (phase 1) passing through Điện Biên has a length of 48.3km, a cross-section scale of 22m with 4 complete lanes. On May 20, 2026, component project 1 had its groundbreaking organized by Điện Biên province at resettlement site No.1, Món Hà village, Mường Lạn commune.

Permanent Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Lê Thành Đô emphasized: “The investment in the Sơn La - Điện Biên - Tây Trang Border Gate expressway has a particularly important meaning in the province’s development strategy, contributing to expanding development space. The project is a step to materialize the goal of the Resolution of the 15th provincial Party Congress to develop Điện Biên in a green, smart, and sustainable direction, becoming one of the region’s tourism centers and a relatively well-developed province in the Northwest region.”

For the project to be implemented ensuring progress, quality, and investment efficiency, relevant agencies, units, sectors, and localities must raise their sense of responsibility, strengthen coordination, and proactively resolve difficulties and obstacles. They need to focus on effectively carrying out site clearance and resettlement in accordance with regulations, ensuring publicity and transparency, and absolutely avoiding loss, waste, and negativity.