No limit on capital registration requirements for highways

Ensure highest construction volume and disbursement during dry season

This morning (July 22), Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang chaired a meeting to review the progress of expressway projects managed by the Ministry of Transport and the progress of disbursement and capital allocation for the projects.

Minister Nguyen Van Thang gave a speech at the meeting (Photo: Ta Hai).

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister expressed his joy and appreciated the determination of the investors/project management board in implementing the construction, bringing the North-South Eastern Expressway project in the 2021-2025 period (phase 2) to follow the schedule.

In addition to the two sections in the Mekong Delta region, Can Tho - Hau Giang, Hau Giang - Ca Mau , and one section in the South Central region (Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon), other component projects will basically be completed from April 30 to September 30, 2025. This is a great determination from the leaders of the Ministry of Transport to investors and contractors," the Minister emphasized.

Acknowledging many positive signals from the construction site, the head of the Ministry of Transport also frankly pointed out: Currently, the implementation process of the construction is still confusing in coordination. There are still many things to worry about to complete the expressway routes synchronously as planned in 2025.

To ensure the completion time of the North-South Expressway project phase 2, Minister Nguyen Van Thang requested the Department of Construction Investment Management and the project management boards to coordinate in developing construction plans for items that determine the progress of each project, from main route infrastructure, service roads, residential roads to rest stop systems, ITS (intelligent traffic, cameras, vehicle weight control stations, toll collection systems).

"The Project Management Board is primarily responsible for the synchronous completion of projects. If there are any problems, the boards must report to the Ministry's leaders for solutions, especially for component projects to be completed by April 30, 2025.

The Project Management Boards must ensure maximum disbursement in line with the construction volume. That means they must do a good job of internal work. Based on the additional capital allocated, additional research will be conducted to increase the responsibility of the Project Management Boards in construction and project implementation.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang.

In addition to drastically coordinating to resolve site clearance issues, investors must direct contractors to focus on "3 shifts, 4 shifts" construction, ensuring the highest construction volume during the dry season. Contractors who cannot ensure this must immediately transfer the volume," the Minister directed.

Paying special attention to the disbursement of public investment capital, the Minister requested that the North-South Expressway project phase 2 must disburse 100% of the allocated capital.

"The committees that are able to accelerate the process must supplement the registration according to the needs. The Ministry's view is not to limit the number of registrations.

Some project management boards in need of capital need to promptly submit a report to the specialized department to report to the Ministry's leaders according to their authority to immediately make adjustments, creating conditions for contractors to feel secure in construction," said the Commander of the Transport Industry.

Particularly for the North-South Expressway project phase 1, the request made by Minister Nguyen Van Thang is to actively disburse all funds. In case of force majeure due to objective reasons, it must be promptly reported to be adjusted to the projects being implemented.

Overview of the meeting this morning (Photo: Ta Hai).

Focus on solving difficulties for horizontal highways

Further instructions on the implementation of key horizontal expressway projects, component project 2 of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway project is a project that the head of the transport sector pays great attention to.

Impatient with the progress of site handover, the Minister requested Project Management Board 85 to coordinate with localities to speed up site clearance, handing over 100% by September 2024 at the latest, ensuring completion time in 2025.

Regarding construction materials, the project management board coordinated with the Department of Construction Investment Management to study procedures in case of using fill soil from Long Thanh airport project for Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway project, ensuring material sources to support the project.

"We have to act very quickly, we have to clarify what conditions are needed to use land from other projects, what opinions the Ministry needs to have with the authorities, and construction solutions also need to be carefully calculated to ensure that the project can be inaugurated before December 31, 2025," the Minister emphasized.

For the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot expressway project, the Minister directed that site clearance work must be more thorough. Materials are also being mobilized more quickly.

"The specialized departments and agencies of the Ministry must promote the highest responsibility to promptly resolve the recommendations of the project management boards, not to let them stagnate and affect the overall progress of the project. The heads of agencies and units are responsible to the Minister if there is a delay," the Minister resolutely said.

Construction of the North-South Expressway, Bung - Van Ninh section (Photo: Ta Hai)

Major highways follow disbursement progress

Previously, reporting on disbursement results at the meeting, Mr. Luu Quang Thin, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment (Ministry of Transport) said that out of the total 62,600 billion VND of central budget capital, as of July 15, 2024, the Ministry of Transport disbursed about 27,500/62,600 billion VND, reaching 44% of the assigned plan.

Of which, the North-South Expressway phase 1 disbursed nearly 2,700 billion VND, reaching 40% of the plan.

North-South Expressway Phase 2 disbursed 16,765 billion VND, reaching 55% of the plan, in line with the required progress.

Regarding the progress of construction projects, Mr. Le Quyet Tien, Director of the Department of Construction Investment Management, said that land and materials are still two major obstacles in many projects.

Mr. Le Quyet Tien, Director of Construction Investment Management Department (Ministry of Transport).

Of which, for the North-South Expressway project phase 2, 5 component projects from Bai Vot to Cam Lo are stuck in land use conversion and sand supply to treat weak soil (Vung Ang - Bung), some sections have not yet been cleared (Van Ninh - Cam Lo).

5 component projects from Quang Ngai to Nha Trang must wait for a resolution to change the purpose of forest use (Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon); land for rice and beans, technical infrastructure have not been relocated (Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh; Chi Thanh - Van Phong).

The two component projects of the Can Tho - Ca Mau section still lack 10.5 million m3 of various materials.

With the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau cross-axis expressway project, the component 2 project through Dong Nai province has so far only handed over about 7.65km of land (42%). The land that can be constructed is about 5.45km (30%). The work of relocating technical infrastructure works and building resettlement areas is still progressing slowly.

At the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot Expressway Component 2 project, the locality has handed over about 254 hectares of land, reaching 79%. The remaining area is mainly natural forest.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/bo-truong-gtvt-khong-han-che-nhu-cau-dang-ky-von-cho-cao-toc-192240722123830448.htm