Representatives of the Department of Economics - Construction Investment Management ( Ministry of Construction ) have just informed about the progress of the plan to complete 3,000km of highway.

Currently, the Ministry of Construction, localities and Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) are implementing 28 projects/component projects with a total length of about 1,188km, expected to be completed in 2025.

Of these, 16 projects with a total length of 786km are being implemented closely following the completion plan, many projects with favorable conditions will strive to shorten the construction time by 3-6 months compared to the contract (in which the Ministry of Construction is the managing agency for 14 projects/760km, localities for 2 projects/26km).

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The Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway is behind schedule due to lack of sand for foundation. Photo: Tran Tuyen

Notably, there are 12 projects with a total length of 402km that are still facing difficulties in site clearance and construction material sources; it is necessary to resolutely and focusedly resolve these difficulties and organize construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams" to be able to complete them this year. Of these 12 projects, the Ministry of Construction is the managing unit for 3 projects with a total length of 129km, and localities are implementing 9 projects/273km...

Lack of materials

To resolve the difficulties, on February 13, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to resolve the issues and assigned tasks to localities to ensure the supply of materials (roadbed leveling sand, sea sand, embankment soil, construction stone) for key transport projects in the Southern region. However, to date, the progress has not met the requirements.

Among them, the Can Tho - Ca Mau project (including Can Tho - Hau Giang and Hau Giang - Ca Mau) as of early March still lacks 3.7 million m3 of sand to complete the foundation.

In fact, Tien Giang province has not completed the licensing procedures for 1 mine with a reserve of 0.6 million m3, and has not identified the source of 1.4 million m3. Meanwhile, Ben Tre province has not completed the procedures for adjusting the type and adding mining equipment in the confirmation of 2 mines.

Similarly, the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway project still lacks 1.8 million cubic meters of soil to complete the embankment work next May.

In order to ensure the progress of project completion, the Ministry of Construction requests investors and contractors to proactively coordinate to promptly remove the above-mentioned obstacles and land to have all favorable factors to speed up progress.

Regarding this issue, at the 16th meeting of the State Steering Committee for important national projects and works in the field of transport held on the afternoon of March 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gave very specific instructions.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Public Security to investigate and strictly handle violations of the law. The leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment continue to directly survey the situation, guide localities to handle and remove obstacles, and at the same time review, synthesize, and submit to competent authorities to amend and perfect the legal framework, in the spirit of directly assigning mines to projects, ensuring publicity and transparency, not allowing the situation of "hoarding goods and raising prices" to slow down projects, harmonizing the interests of the State, people and businesses.

The provinces of Tien Giang, Ben Tre, An Giang, Kien Giang, Dong Nai (with raw material mines) strictly implement the direction of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha regarding the exploitation and supply of materials for the construction of transport projects. Priority will be given to materials for projects scheduled to be completed by 2025; there will be absolutely no corruption or negativity in granting licenses for mining of raw materials.

According to the Ministry of Construction, 12 projects/component projects need to resolutely focus on removing difficulties in site clearance and material sources, including:

2 North-South expressway component projects in the 2021-2025 period (Can Tho - Hau Giang; Hau Giang - Ca Mau); Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang section through Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang; Component projects 1 and 3 of Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot expressway; Component projects 1, 3, 5 of Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3; Cao Lanh - An Huu; Component projects 1 and 2 of Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway.