Untangling the knots in the Ho Chi Minh Highway project.

The Ho Chi Minh Highway project, specifically the Rach Soi - Ben Nhut and Go Quao - Vinh Thuan sections, is a key national project, commenced in March 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2025. However, numerous difficulties and obstacles in land clearance, resettlement, and construction materials are hindering progress and require prompt solutions.

Obstacles related to land and raw materials.

With a shortage of over 1.2 million cubic meters ^of sand, more than 200,000 ^{cubic meters} of stone, and 198 households yet to receive compensation, the Ho Chi Minh Highway project in An Giang province is facing the risk of delays. Mr. Le Van Sau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board, stated: “The biggest obstacles are land clearance and a serious shortage of construction materials. If these issues are not resolved immediately, it will be very difficult to complete the project in 2025.”

According to Mr. Sau, the project needs 2.5 million cubic meters ^of sand, but is short 1.2 million ^cubic meters; the need for stone is 450,000 ^{cubic meters} , but only 200,000 ^{cubic meters} have been supplied. The Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board recommends that the province promptly supply an additional 250,000 ^{cubic meters} of sand and over 200,000 ^{cubic meters} of stone from the Hon Soc quarry, while also resolving land-related issues to accelerate the project's progress.

The Ho Chi Minh Highway project has a total length of nearly 52km and a total investment of over 3,904 billion VND, of which 45.3km passes through Vinh Phong, Vinh Tuy, Go Quao, and Chau Thanh communes. According to Mr. Giang Thanh Khoa, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the total land area to be acquired for the project is approximately 130 hectares, affecting 1,952 households, with compensation costs exceeding 648 billion VND. To date, land clearance has reached 96.2%; compensation has been paid to 1,754 cases, while 198 cases have yet to receive payment. Notably, 71 cases have not yet handed over the land, mainly in Chau Thanh and Vinh Tuy communes. Some households, despite having agreed beforehand, are obstructing the contractor's work, due to issues related to the traffic corridor land.

Comrade Le Minh Hoan inspects the progress of the Ho Chi Minh Highway construction in Go Quao commune. Photo: AN LAM

The major difficulty lies in the fact that the locality does not yet have a resettlement area, requiring parallel implementation with compensation work, affecting the progress of arranging new housing for households. In addition, compensation funds from the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board are sometimes delayed; many land files are mortgaged, disputed, entangled in inheritance procedures, or the landowners are overseas. Furthermore, the fact that six locations where technical infrastructure (220kV power lines, water pipes, and intersections) have not yet been relocated also slows down construction progress.

Observations in Vinh Tuy commune on the morning of August 12th showed that the contractor was working on the bridge, site preparation, road embankment, and installing drainage wicks in sections where the land had been handed over. However, according to the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board, the project's progress has only reached 41.5% so far.

Determined to finish on time.

Comrade Giang Thanh Khoa added: “The province has directed specialized units, land fund development centers, and communes to continue reviewing cases. Those that meet legal requirements will be included in the compensation plan for the people. Cases that do not comply with regulations will be resolutely dealt with to protect construction. The province strives to achieve the goal of handing over all land before the end of August 2025.”

Regarding materials, Comrade Giang Thanh Khoa informed that the supply of sand for the Ho Chi Minh Highway project is currently depleted because the mines have increased their capacity by 50% to prioritize the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway as directed by the Government, and the Vinh Xuong Border Economic Zone. Stone is also scarce because the province must focus on the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway and projects serving APEC 2027 in Phu Quoc, requiring 4.5 million cubic meters ^. “The province is planning and bidding for the exploitation of approximately 40 million ^cubic meters of stone in stages. If conditions are met, priority will be given to supporting the Ho Chi Minh Highway project,” Comrade Giang Thanh Khoa affirmed.

To resolve the obstacles facing the Ho Chi Minh Highway project, the Provincial People's Committee has requested the Ministry of Construction and the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board to promptly adjust the culvert at Km59+482.76 into a bridge, similar to the Ba Bang Canal bridge on the North-South Expressway, to suit the actual conditions. At the same time, the National Assembly is requested to consider supplementing funds to upgrade the Km67-Km80 section, which has been in operation for over 10 years and is now severely degraded, posing a significant traffic safety risk.

The Ho Chi Minh Highway project, specifically the section passing through An Giang province, not only connects inter-regional transportation but also promotes socio-economic development in the Southwest region. If the bottlenecks regarding land clearance and resettlement are not resolved soon, the risk of delays is imminent, impacting the goal of completing the project by 2025.

During a recent site inspection of the new Ho Chi Minh Highway project in Go Quao and Vinh Tuy communes, Comrade Le Minh Hoan - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly - requested: “The Provincial People's Committee must carefully review and closely coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to report to the National Assembly clearly and transparently, without making general statements about the situation, difficulties, and obstacles in the implementation of the project. The province must clearly understand each case of complaint, the content of the complaint, the progress of handling it, and whether it can still be resolved, in order to have an appropriate next course of action.”

AN LAM

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/go-nut-that-cho-du-an-duong-ho-chi-minh-a426283.html