People complain about slow construction progress

Many residents covered their houses with tarpaulins to protect them from road dust, photo taken on the morning of April 1, 2025. Photo: PHAN VINH

Impact on people's lives

Residents living along National Highway 40B, from Tra Duong commune to Tra My town (Bac Tra My district), face difficulties in daily life and travel due to numerous potholes and uneven surfaces.

Because her house is right next to the road, since the construction began, Ms. Hoang Thi Hue (Hamlet 2, Tra Duong Commune) has had to change all the doors inside her house and outside the gate. From mesh doors and iron bars, she replaced them with corrugated iron doors, completely covering them to block out some of the dust. However, according to her, this solution only partially reduces the pollution and cannot completely solve it.

Ms. Hue's house has sealed corrugated iron doors to limit dust from entering the living area. Photo taken on the morning of April 1, 2025. Photo: PHAN VINH

"

My house is right at the bottom of a slope, and large vehicles speed down it, kicking up clouds of dust that fill the neighborhood. Even with the doors and windows closed all day, the furniture still gets covered in fine dust. We clean and tidy up every day, but it always comes back to the same problem. During the peak of the hot season, we have to wear masks even inside the house.

Ms. Hoang Thi Hue

About 3km from Ms. Hue's house, the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Phung (Mau Ca residential area, Tra My town) said that previously, the old National Highway 40B was lower than their house's foundation, but when the project was implemented, the road surface was raised, causing water to flood into their house whenever there was heavy rain. Ms. Phung's family is one of the households that agreed with the policy of land clearance and compensation to implement the road upgrading and expansion project as soon as possible, with nearly ^100m² of land and their fence and gate affected.

The road level is more than 1 meter higher than the house foundations, causing water to flow into people's homes. Photo taken on the morning of April 1, 2025. Photo: PHAN VINH

"Firstly, we residents want the project to be completed soon so that there will be no more dust and pollution. On the other hand, auxiliary works such as drainage ditches and sewers also need to be invested in simultaneously to solve the problem of water flooding into people's homes when it rains," said Ms. Phung.

[ VIDEO ] - Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Phung speaks about the difficult situation of people living along the roadside:

Delays in progress

The Central Region Linkage Project in Quang Nam province commenced in July 2023, aiming to complete the transportation infrastructure system, promote socio-economic development, and ensure national defense and security in the province. The project has a total investment of VND 768 billion, using ODA loans from the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), and is managed by the Quang Nam Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works. The project spans 31.85 km, passing through the districts of Thang Binh, Phu Ninh, Tien Phuoc, and Bac Tra My.

Slow construction progress is affecting the quality of life for residents and traffic flow. Photo taken on the morning of April 1, 2025. Photo: PHAN VINH

The project was scheduled for completion in November 2025, with a construction period of 870 days. However, to date, construction progress has been delayed due to various reasons, including inconsistent site handover and unfavorable weather conditions. As of March 2025, the total construction volume has only reached approximately 17.74% of the contract value.

According to representatives of the Project Management Board - Land Fund of Bac Tra My district, the land clearance and compensation process for the project has been actively pursued by local authorities and has received high levels of public support. The project spans 5.7km through the district, affecting 229 households in Tra Duong commune and Tra My town.

Numerous potholes and uneven surfaces pose a potential traffic safety hazard. Photo taken on the morning of April 1, 2025. Photo: PHAN VINH

Currently, land clearance has reached 5.4km, with 2 households awaiting complete relocation under the new compensation policy and 4 households affected due to route reallocation. The land for project construction in Bac Tra My district has been handed over since around April 2024.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Su, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra My town, said that 32 households in the locality were affected by the Central Region Linkage Project and had handed over their land since August 2023. However, for more than a year, the project has still been under construction, and residents have continuously complained to the local authorities about pollution and inadequacies due to the drainage system affecting their lives and daily activities.

[VIDEO] - Mr. Nguyen Huu Su - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra My town, talks about the wishes of the local people:

"

We sympathize with the construction unit. Since Tet (Lunar New Year), Bac Tra My has had less than a week of sunshine, and every time the base course is laid, there's heavy rain. Clearly, the people are very tired. The authorities have requested the construction unit to speed up the progress and also to invest in drainage systems soon to avoid affecting the daily lives of the people.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Su

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/du-an-lien-ket-vung-mien-trung-qua-dia-ban-huyen-bac-tra-my-dan-keu-kho-vi-cham-tien-do-thi-cong-3151909.html