Untangle the knots and accelerate the completion of the 3,000km expressway.

In recent days, working groups led by Deputy Prime Ministers have been directly inspecting key expressway projects as decided by the Prime Minister.

After assessing the situation, government leaders issued specific and decisive directives to definitively resolve obstacles and are determined to complete the 3,000km expressway project by the end of the year.

By June 30th, the entire route from Ha Tinh to Quang Tri will be open to traffic.

On the morning of March 10th in Quang Tri province, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung led Working Group No. 2 to work with the leaders of Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces to review and resolve difficulties and obstacles of 5 component projects of the North-South Expressway (Eastern section, phase 2) passing through the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Quang Tri.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung acknowledged and commended the efforts of the investor, contractor, local authorities, and people of Ha Tinh province in the process of land clearance and construction of the expressway through Ha Tinh. Photo: Van Duc.

According to Mr. Phung Tien Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Economic and Investment Management of Construction (Ministry of Construction), the 5 component projects are invested in by Project Management Boards under the Ministry of Construction, with a total length of 260km.

Regarding land clearance, at the Vung Ang - Bung project, there are still 2 locations of 500kV power lines that are expected to be relocated in June, which will not affect the progress; 2 households have handed over the land but have not yet agreed to the compensation rates.

At the Van Ninh - Cam Lo project, there are still 272 meters of road remaining, mainly due to obstacles at the intersections of National Highway 9D, National Highway 9A, the northern bypass of National Highway 9, and some technical facilities that have not yet been relocated in Quang Tri. If the local authorities cannot hand over the land before March 15th, the project will not meet the deadline for completing the main expressway section in June 2025.

Representatives from the Ministry of Construction also requested that investors closely monitor construction progress. If contractors fall behind schedule, investors must take corrective measures, including reallocating work and adding contractors if necessary, to ensure the committed schedule is met.

Mr. Phan Phong Phu, Vice Chairman of the Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee, said that the land for the main route has been basically cleared, with only obstacles remaining on the access roads and local roads. The local authorities will hand over the remaining land in March. Mr. Phu also requested that relevant agencies develop a plan to address the 33 households located outside the land clearance area but close to the expressway.

Representatives from Quang Tri province also committed to completing the handover of land for the overpass and connecting road projects in April. However, the local authorities also requested the addition of a service road for residents to facilitate their travel and production activities.

Concluding the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister highly appreciated the efforts of the localities, investors, contractors, and consulting and supervision units in implementing the projects in the area, as well as the commitment of the localities to complete land clearance and resolve obstacles related to materials and relocation of technical infrastructure facilities within March.

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction as the focal point, closely monitoring the situation in localities and promptly compiling reports for competent authorities to resolve difficulties and obstacles.

"In all five projects, contractors and investors have committed to completing the main route by April 30th and opening the entire expressway from Ha Tinh to Quang Tri by June 30th. Therefore, work must begin immediately," the Deputy Prime Minister requested.

Earlier, while inspecting three expressway projects through Ha Tinh province, including Bai Vot - Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi - Vung Ang, and Vung Ang - Bung, the Deputy Prime Minister noted: "From now until June 30th - the deadline for opening the entire expressway from Ha Tinh to Quang Tri - there isn't much time left. The units must focus on construction with the highest spirit and as quickly as possible."

Competing to meet deadlines while ensuring quality.

On the afternoon of March 9th, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung led Inspection Team No. 2 to inspect the Van Ninh - Cam Lo project. After the inspection and hearing reports, he requested the local authorities to urgently focus on disseminating information and mobilizing the local people, and to develop a reasonable and comprehensive solution to ensure the construction progress of the entire route.

During the meeting, after listening to feedback on difficulties, obstacles, authority, responsibility for resolution, and progress in land clearance, the Deputy Prime Minister also requested localities, investors, and contractors to propose specific capital needs, authority and responsibility for resolution; and specific plans and commitments regarding progress.

"In particular, the Van Ninh - Cam Lo route needs to gain the consensus of the people affected by the project. Where, or at what stage, are the people still unclear? Has the local government done its best? How has the mobilization and communication work been carried out? It must be ensured that everything is fair and reasonable within the permitted framework," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vinh, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh Highway Project Management Board (the investor of the Van Ninh - Cam Lo expressway project), the project's construction output has reached approximately 76.5%, and the contractors' progress is basically on schedule. Although 100% of the land for the main route has been handed over, there are still more than 0.2km in Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province, that is facing obstacles.

Reporting to the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Dinh Cong Minh, Director of the Thang Long Project Management Board (the investor of the Bai Vot - Ham Nghi and Ham Nghi - Vung Ang expressways), stated that the Bai Vot - Ham Nghi expressway is 35.28km long with a total investment of 7,643 billion VND; the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang expressway is 53.88km long with a total investment of 9,734 billion VND; both were started in January 2023.

To date, the construction output of the Bai Vot - Ham Nghi expressway has reached 80% of the contract value, and the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang expressway has reached 84.2% of the contract value, ensuring that the project is on schedule. Previously critical sections of the project requiring soil stabilization have been unloaded by the contractor, and excavation and embankment work for the roadbed and foundation is now underway.

Mr. Tran Huu Hai, Director of Project Management Board 6 (the investor of the Vung Ang - Bung expressway), said that the Vung Ang - Bung expressway is 55.34km long, with a total investment of 12,548 billion VND, of which the section through Ha Tinh is 12.9km long. At this time, the main route and critical road items on the section through Ha Tinh are basically on schedule.

Investors and contractors have reported that the construction of the North-South expressway through Ha Tinh province has not encountered any difficulties or obstacles regarding land acquisition or construction materials. Throughout the construction process, investors and contractors have received support and cooperation from all levels of government and the people of Ha Tinh province.

However, according to the investors, the recent heavy rains in Ha Tinh have made construction somewhat difficult. Committing to the Deputy Prime Minister, the investors and contractors will focus all their manpower, equipment, and machinery on continuous, phased construction, completing each section as it progresses.

After inspecting the site and listening to reports from the relevant units, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung acknowledged and commended the efforts of Ha Tinh province in carrying out land clearance work and ensuring the supply of materials for the expressway projects.

He urged investors, contractors, and supervisory consultants to prioritize construction quality and not compromise project quality for the sake of meeting deadlines.

Build critical path, make up for lost time.

Earlier, on the morning of March 8th, Inspection Team No. 5, led by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, worked in Tuyen Quang.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son inspected the progress of the Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang expressway construction project, specifically the section passing through Tuyen Quang province, at the intersection with National Highway 37.

According to Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang province, Nguyen Van Son, the province is focusing on resolving obstacles related to land clearance, resettlement, relocation of technical infrastructure, and land shortage for embankment. The total cumulative value of work completed to date is over 1,341/4,789 billion VND, reaching 28% of the contract value. The province is committed to completing the project according to the approved schedule.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son requested the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang province to promptly complete the land clearance for the project and hand it over for construction in March 2025. The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the People's Committee to direct the Department of Agriculture and Environment to work with the investor and contractor to clarify the remaining material needs and quantities, propose suitable quarrying sites, and resolve the quarrying permit application procedures within a maximum of 10 days.

At the same time, it is necessary to clarify the causes of the project's delay and the responsibilities of each agency, unit, and individual; direct the investor and construction contractor to ensure the project's completion in 2025, and find solutions to compensate for the delayed work.

Regarding Ha Giang province, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant units to expedite the procedures for granting mining licenses for 4 quarries, to be completed by March 2025. The Ministry of Finance was urged to promptly submit to the Prime Minister a proposal for the allocation of additional capital to Ha Giang province to complete phase 1 (27.48km).

Local authorities need to proactively review funding sources, balance and allocate funds from the local budget and other legal sources to implement the project, and proactively work with the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds for the project as soon as possible in April 2025...

Southern projects accelerate, but material shortages remain a concern.

According to the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transport Works (Transport Board, the investor of component project 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3), the project has 14 construction packages. Of these, 10 main construction packages are being accelerated by contractors, focusing on bridges and tunnels. To date, approximately 30% of the construction value has been completed. The remaining 4 packages for operation and exploitation are still undergoing technical design review and approval, with implementation expected in the second quarter of 2025.

Although progress is on schedule, the supply of sand remains quite difficult. In 2025, the project will need approximately 4.7 million cubic meters of sand for construction, but so far only 1.55 million cubic meters have been delivered to the construction site.

It is known that the sand supply for the project is sourced by contractors from domestic commercial sand mines, imports from Cambodia, and commercial sand from mines allocated by the three localities of Vinh Long, Tien Giang, and Ben Tre. As of February 2025, the provinces of Vinh Long, Tien Giang, and Ben Tre have only licensed the exploitation of 6 out of a total of 13 mines. With the current exploitation capacity of the 6 mines, only a maximum of 2.5 million m3 can be supplied to the project, compared to the 4.7 million m3 demand for 2025.

The Department of Transport has proposed to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to request local authorities to support increasing the exploitation capacity of existing mines and to expedite procedures to complete the licensing of the remaining mines.

Similarly, for component project 3, the section passing through Dong Nai, the progress to date has also reached over 25%. The Dong Nai Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transport Works is urging contractors to work continuously to catch up on the progress.

At component project 1A of the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 (over 8km long, including Nhon Trach bridge and access roads), the overall project progress has reached nearly 90%, and is currently in the completion phase, with efforts being made to open it to traffic by April 30th.

The most stressful situation is on the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway; although contractors have increased manpower and equipment, progress still depends on the availability of materials.

Mr. Ngo The An, Director of the Dong Nai Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Projects, said that following the Prime Minister's directive, the locality has established more mobilization and propaganda teams, resulting in more land being handed over than before. In recent days, hundreds more households have agreed to hand over their land.

Due to delays in land handover, progress on this section has only reached 22% of the total volume. Additionally, another difficulty is the shortage of 1.6 million cubic meters of fill soil.

Similarly, in component project 2, output is better, reaching nearly 30% of the volume. Currently, the project is being supplied with approximately 1.3 million cubic meters of soil, but this is still insufficient to meet demand.

Specifically, component project 3, passing through Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, has a length of 19.5km. This is the component project with the best progress and is expected to be completed by April 30th. To date, the output of component project 3 has reached 74% of the contract value, ensuring it is on schedule.

Resolving difficulties and obstacles completely.

Earlier, on March 6th, in Dong Thap, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha inspected the site and chaired a working session to accelerate the progress of key projects in the Mekong Delta region.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha inspected the construction progress of transportation projects in Dong Thap on March 6th.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the reason for the continued difficulty in obtaining sand is the lack of decisiveness from local authorities, especially in the process of granting mining permits to contractors.

Emphasizing the importance of completing the projects by 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister directed localities to focus decisively on resolving difficulties and obstacles related to the procedures for granting and re-mining permits for sand and stone quarries identified to supply the expressway projects.

"Commitments must be fulfilled. The projects must be completed and handed over to contractors for operation before March 10th, ensuring that no projects are delayed due to a shortage of materials," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

The Deputy Prime Minister instructed project management boards and contractors to urgently review and accurately compile the reserves and exploitation capacity of sand mines according to the progress of each project. Based on this, they should propose solutions to the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to address any difficulties.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that localities should treat all contractors fairly and not show favoritism. Contractors and businesses assigned to mine operations must comply with the law and specific regulations.

Report the inspection results before March 15th.

According to the Prime Minister's Decision, Inspection Team No. 1, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, will inspect the following projects: Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan, Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon, and Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh.

Inspection Team No. 2, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, inspected the following projects: Bai Vot - Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi - Vung Ang, Vung Ang - Bung, Bung - Van Ninh, and Van Ninh - Cam Lo.

Inspection Team No. 3, led by Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, inspected the projects: Chi Thanh - Van Phong, Van Phong - Nha Trang, Component Project 1 and Component Project 3 of the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot Project.

Inspection Team No. 4, led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, inspected the following projects: Can Tho - Hau Giang, Hau Giang - Ca Mau, Cao Lanh - Lo Te, Lo Te - Rach Soi, and Cao Lanh - An Huu (Component Project 1 in Dong Thap province).

Inspection Team No. 5, led by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, inspected the following projects: Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang section through Ha Giang province, Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang section through Tuyen Quang province, Dong Dang - Tra Linh, and Huu Nghi - Chi Lang.

Inspection Team No. 6, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc, inspected the Ben Luc - Long Thanh project; Component Project 1, Component Project 2, and Component Project 3 of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Project.

Inspection Team No. 7, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, inspected the following projects: Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 (Component Projects 1, 3, 5, and 7).

The Prime Minister requested that the inspection teams report their inspection results before March 15th.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Viet Hung:

Don't let minor obstacles affect the project's progress.

On the afternoon of March 10th, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Viet Hung inspected the construction work on the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway.

At the point where the route intersects with the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway, reporting to the Deputy Minister, Mr. Le Thang, Director of Project Management Board 2, stated that for nearly six months, unfavorable weather conditions have significantly impacted the road embankment work. Although the material quarry is available, and the necessary equipment, personnel, and finances are in place, the contractor is powerless due to the incessant rain.

After conducting an on-site inspection along the route, Deputy Minister Nguyen Viet Hung highly appreciated the efforts of the investor, contractor, and related parties in achieving the current construction results.

The Deputy Minister stated that there is not much time left to complete the project. Therefore, all relevant parties must make greater efforts, ensuring that the entire construction site remains brightly lit. Construction output must increase daily.

Regarding existing issues and obstacles related to site preparation, material quarries, and cracks in residential houses caused by compaction, the investor and contractor must have effective solutions. Specifically, regarding material quarries, they need to proactively work with local authorities. Any proposed additions or increases in capacity from new quarries must include specific addresses in the application process.

"We need to be flexible and develop solutions to work with the authorities to thoroughly resolve obstacles, preventing prolonged issues from affecting the overall progress of the project. The project deadline is very tight, and we must be even more urgent to complete it," the Deputy Minister instructed.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/go-nut-that-tang-toc-hoan-thanh-3000km-cao-toc-192250310233807543.htm