Handing over the land and expectations for Nguyen Thi Dinh road.

From an aerial view, it's easy to see a series of houses that have been built further back, ready to hand over the land for the expansion of Nguyen Thi Dinh Street - Photo: CHAU TUAN

My family has lived on Nguyen Thi Dinh Street (Thu Duc City) since 1999. Over the years, many things have changed around where I live, but one thing remains constant: traffic jams and accidents are commonplace due to the narrow road.

Today, the importance of Nguyen Thi Dinh Street is undeniable. It is one of the main arteries connecting to Phu My Bridge, An Phu intersection, Cat Lai ferry, etc. However, at times I feel that this road is being overloaded with traffic coming from all directions.

And for the first time in 2015, when the local authorities announced the preliminary plan to widen the road from 7m to 30m, I and many other villagers were overjoyed. At that time, I was ready to hand over nearly 100 square ^meters of land for the road construction.

However, due to various reasons and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project could not be implemented as planned. More than anyone else, we residents understand our suffering when we can neither build nor sell our houses...

By the end of 2023, the government had made adjustments to the project, increasing compensation, and most residents agreed to hand over the land. In Thanh My Loi ward (where I live), approximately 204 households were affected by the project.

It's encouraging that 86% of households agreed to hand over their homes, because most understand that the project has dragged on for too long and it's time to complete it quickly so that people can settle down, earn a living, and travel more safely.

My family, in particular, had part of the sidewalk and a portion of our rented house demolished. Sometimes we regret it, because "every inch of land is precious," and our house has become much shorter and had to be moved back about 4-5 meters compared to before. The compensation is also difficult to accept; it's hard for any resident to feel satisfied.

But for the benefit of the community, for the overall development of society, and especially to alleviate traffic congestion around the area, I and the other residents are all willing to dismantle our structures. Some have small plots, others have large ones, and ultimately, our lives are disrupted, and our businesses are affected. Calling it a "sacrifice" might be an exaggeration, but in the long run, we will also receive many other benefits.

If the road is completed, the face of Thu Duc City will change, people will travel more easily, businesses will thrive, and land prices in the remaining or neighboring areas will increase accordingly... these are the expectations I see.

The story of Nguyen Thi Dinh Street is just one typical example of the current land clearance process for state-funded construction projects.

Somewhere, there is still tension over inadequate compensation, the issue of whether to stay or leave, whether to demolish or stubbornly refuse to relocate. Those places may have their own reasons. And this is something the government needs to understand, listen to, and adjust accordingly, as well as analyze the immediate and long-term benefits.

Only when the interests of the people are taken into account and ensured will they be willing to cooperate, and then the land will be handed over on schedule. That is the "key" to ensuring that projects are completed on time.

And finally, what I most expect from Nguyen Thi Dinh road is that once the land is available, it should be expanded, upgraded, and completed as soon as possible; there shouldn't be any reason for the construction to be so slow and sluggish.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ban-giao-mat-bang-and-ky-vong-ve-con-duong-nguyen-thi-dinh-20240626084649003.htm