The project to upgrade National Highway 279 is under construction due to lack of land.

As one of the province's key transport infrastructure projects that started construction in January 2024, due to the lack of clean land, the project to upgrade National Highway 279 is facing many difficulties and is unlikely to reach its set target.

The National Highway 279 renovation project has just started construction of the bored pile part of the bridge project. — The National Highway 279 renovation project has just started construction of the bored pile part of the bridge item.

The project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 279 is over 8.6km long. The project is designed to upgrade from a 4-lane mountain grade III road to a 6-lane plain grade III road. The project has a total area of over 79ha, of which the section through Cam Pha City is over 61.6ha and affects 119 households and organizations; the section through Ha Long City affects 24 households and organizations.

Although both localities have now handed over the entire land area managed by the State and Cam Pha City has mobilized 6 households and organizations (equivalent to more than 50% of the project area) to hand over the site before receiving the money, but up to now, the construction site has only organized bored pile construction at the different-level intersection with National Highway 18 and Dien Vong Bridge, and the casting of components must also be organized far from the construction site.

The intersection area with National Highway 18 in Quang Hanh ward accounts for a large proportion of the total number of units and households subject to land acquisition and clearance. — The intersection area with National Highway 18 in Quang Hanh ward accounts for a large proportion of the total number of units and households subject to land acquisition and compensation.

Mr. Vu Kieu Hung, Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Works in Quang Ninh Province, said: Immediately after the site was handed over, the investor requested the units to organize the construction teams immediately. However, most of the site area is the current road surface of National Highway 279, so only some bridge items can be constructed. There are some remaining locations with site area but in the middle of the elevation, making it impossible to construct the roadbed from the bottom up, and some locations cannot be dumped because the project is constructed according to the balanced excavation and filling process.

Inquiring about this issue, it is known that the land acquisition and compensation work along the entire route has completed the inventory and compensation price framework, but is currently being suspended due to the application of the new Land Law. Mr. Pham Van Kinh, Vice Chairman of Cam Pha City People's Committee, said: The city has completed the inventory and made a plan waiting for the council's approval, but after the new Land Law takes effect, some procedures related to it need to wait for the decision of the Provincial People's Committee. In the meantime, the city focuses on propaganda and mobilization to households as well as completing the procedures when there are decisions of the Provincial People's Committee, they can be applied immediately to ensure the earliest land acquisition and compensation.

The contractor must organize the casting of beams and components nearly 5km away from the construction site.

The completion of the National Highway 279 renovation and upgrade project not only improves traffic safety here but also creates an overall connection between National Highway 18 and the province's backbone highway. However, with the current progress, it is difficult to complete the project by August 2025 as planned.

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