Many areas along Ba Trieu Street have had their land handed over, but the contractor has yet to begin construction.

Prolonged delays

The project to upgrade and expand Ba Trieu Street starts at the intersection of Le Quy Don and Duong Van An streets and ends at the intersection of Hung Vuong and Nguyen Hue streets, with a length of 920m and a total investment of over 540 billion VND, managed by the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction Area 1.

The project involves upgrading and expanding Ba Trieu Street to 14 meters wide, with 6-meter-wide sidewalks on each side, and a concrete road surface. The project aims to gradually complete the city's transportation infrastructure system according to the plan, contributing to resolving traffic bottlenecks at Vy Da Bridge, as well as improving urban infrastructure, attracting investment, and enhancing the quality of life for residents.

Despite the commencement announcement being nearly a month ago, the contractor that won package 14 – covering all construction and traffic management aspects of this project – has yet to begin construction on site. This package, led by Company 501.1 Limited Liability Company, is part of a consortium that won the bid and is expected to be completed in 2027.

Reporters observed that along Ba Trieu Street, the investor has handed over land in phases for several sections. Prior to this, many households proactively repaired their houses and shops, as well as relocated their businesses, to hand over the land to the construction unit. However, to date, the contractor has not yet commenced construction on the site. It is known that the area of ​​land and assets attached to the land to be acquired for the Ba Trieu Street Upgrade and Expansion Project is approximately 24,000 square meters, affecting more than 180 households.

The contract will be terminated if the contractor fails to perform the work.

Due to the contractor's delays, the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction in Region 1 recently sent a written request to the contractor urging them to expedite the progress (first time). According to the Project Management Board, based on Construction Contract No. 27/2025/HĐXL dated June 30, 2025, and the commencement notice dated March 4, 2026, from the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction in Region 1, the aforementioned project was scheduled to commence Package 14 on March 8th. However, to date, the contractor has shown no signs of commencing construction on-site. This delay in construction poses a risk to the project's progress and the public investment disbursement plan.

To ensure the project progresses as required, the Project Management Board requests the contractor to promptly organize and implement construction at the site in accordance with the signed contract. The contractor must urgently prepare and submit to the Project Management Board a detailed construction plan, including plans for the mobilization of main materials, machinery and equipment, and personnel. In case the contractor delays construction, affecting the contract's progress, the Project Management Board will consider and handle the matter according to the terms of the contract.

On March 16th, the consortium of contractors sent a letter to the investor requesting consideration and approval to temporarily suspend the construction of package 14. The reason given by the contractors is that some areas of the first phase of land handover for the section from Hung Vuong Street to the Truong Chinh intersection still remain uncleared, potentially affecting the mechanized construction process. Furthermore, some materials such as asphalt, pipes, stone, sand, gasoline, and oil are scarce and experiencing significant price fluctuations, creating difficulties for the contractors.

The Project Management Board stated that the investor, in coordination with relevant units including the Infrastructure Management and Exploitation Center, the City's Parks and Greenery Center, and Thua Thien Hue Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company, organized the handover of the construction site to the contractor in accordance with regulations. The handover of the site was carried out in stages, in accordance with the provisions of the signed construction contract. Therefore, the contractor is responsible for organizing construction in accordance with the scope of the handed-over site, ensuring the progress as per the contract.

Furthermore, neither Contract No. 27/2025/HĐXL dated June 30, 2025, nor current construction laws and regulations contain any provision allowing the contractor to temporarily suspend construction due to fluctuations in material prices. Therefore, the contractor's request to temporarily suspend construction for the aforementioned reason is unfounded and cannot be considered or approved.

Mr. Nguyen Tran Nhat Tuan, Director of the Investment and Construction Project Management Board for Region 1, stated that the investor has requested the consortium of contractors to urgently mobilize manpower, equipment, and materials to organize construction and ensure progress according to the signed contract. In case the contractor fails to implement the project, delays it without justifiable reason, or carries out construction in a perfunctory manner, the unit will implement sanctions according to the contract terms, including contract termination and confiscation of the performance guarantee.

Text and photos: HA NGUYEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/xay-dung-giao-thong/cham-trien-khai-thi-cong-duong-ba-trieu-164429.html