With the goal of completing the project in 2025, right after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake, the investor and contractors of the National Highway 279 renovation and upgrade project actively organized simultaneous construction to make up for the previous delays.
After many years of use, the section of National Highway 279 connecting Ha Long and Cam Pha has deteriorated. This road connects to the Ha Long - Van Don expressway, and the traffic density is increasing. Many sections of the route have extremely steep slopes, posing a potential safety risk. With the goal of further improving transportation infrastructure, addressing infrastructure shortcomings, and strengthening inter-regional connectivity, especially connecting the two central cities of the province, Ha Long and Cam Pha, with the provincial expressway, Quang Ninh decided to invest in the renovation and upgrading of National Highway 279 at the end of 2022.
The project spans 8.1 km, starting at the intersection with National Highway 18 in Quang Hanh ward (Cam Pha City) and ending at the Ha Long - Van Don expressway interchange (Dong La interchange) in Vu Oai commune (Ha Long City). The road is designed to Class III standards for flat terrain, with 6 lanes, and includes comprehensively integrated supporting infrastructure such as drainage culverts, lighting systems, and traffic safety systems. The Dien Vong bridge will be expanded along the route, and two interchanges will be constructed: a multi-level interchange with National Highway 18 at the beginning of the route and the Dong La interchange at the end. The total investment for the project is over 1,800 billion VND.
However, during implementation, the project encountered difficulties due to a lack of construction space. This was caused by some newly applied regulations in the 2024 Land Law, requiring localities to wait for provincial guidelines and regulations on compensation, support, and resettlement before implementation; obstacles in the guidance on calculating the volume of forestry trees; difficulties in issuing land prices; and the lack of defined land use boundaries for some land parcels, leading to delays in land clearance. In early 2025, the relevant localities focused on resolving difficulties and accelerating the land clearance process.
Immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday, the investor closely coordinated with local authorities to receive and hand over the land; requiring contractors to take advantage of the favorable weather in the early days of the year, mobilize manpower and equipment, focus on overtime work, and accelerate construction progress at locations where land has been secured.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Trong (representative of Thanh Son contractor) said: "The project passes through complex hilly terrain, requiring a very large volume of earth and rock excavation and embankment. Therefore, taking advantage of favorable weather, right after Tet, the unit mobilized all personnel to return to the construction site to organize construction immediately. The location of the unit's contract is the most difficult point of the entire project, with the roadbed located nearly 30m below the roadbed level, requiring excavation and embankment of over 800,000 m3... The unit is focusing intensely on this item with the determination to complete it before this year's rainy season. Because the construction of the earth embankment during prolonged rain would be very disadvantageous and affect the overall progress of the project."
At other contract packages, construction work is also being simultaneously implemented. To date, the Dien Vong bridge has completed the entire substructure with 18 bored piles along with the pier system, cap beams, and abutments. For the superstructure, 20 I33 girder segments have been cast and installed, completing the bridge deck. At the intersections, contractors are focusing on constructing the overpass piers and connecting roadbeds. For the remaining road sections, work is currently focused on excavation, widening, and realigning the route according to the design.
To expedite progress and monitor the quality of each item, field testing stations have been established on the construction site, carrying out phased inspections of each technical item. In addition, contracts have been signed with material suppliers, and materials are immediately gathered and transported to the construction site to minimize downtime due to waiting for supplies.
According to the planned schedule, the project is expected to be completed in 2025, enhancing connectivity between the two central cities of the province, Ha Long and Cam Pha, and the provincial expressway. To ensure this progress, relevant localities need to continue strengthening their review and coordinating closely with stakeholders to expedite land clearance and handover to the investor and contractors, allowing them to focus on project implementation.
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