Part 1: Are utility poles hindering progress?

Báo Thái Bình•20/06/2023

Many transportation projects in the province are at risk of delays due to construction being halted or slowed down while waiting for the relocation of power grid infrastructure along the route. This delay not only creates difficulties for the construction units but also affects the efficiency of investment capital.

The project to upgrade and renovate provincial road 454, the section from Thai Binh city to Sa Cao bridge, is at risk of falling behind schedule due to the power grid infrastructure.

Every road is "stuck with power lines".

Over 250 power poles remain unremoved, a figure recorded in just 5 transportation projects managed and implemented by the Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works. Furthermore, in projects where the investor is the project management board for infrastructure construction in 8 districts and cities, the number of unremoved power poles and numerous substations exceeds 500. The delay in relocating power grid infrastructure out of the scope of transportation projects is currently a major obstacle, slowing down overall project progress and wasting investment capital.

The project to renovate and upgrade Provincial Road 455, the section from An Duc commune, Quynh Phu district to Provincial Road 456, Thai Thuy district, spans over 7km. To date, land clearance for the project has proceeded relatively smoothly; in particular, the section through Quynh Phu district has had its agricultural and residential land handed over to the construction unit. However, land clearance issues remain at the location of 60 power poles, preventing the construction unit from completing the project as planned.

Mr. Pham Vu Hiep, a technical officer at Thinh Vuong TVT Joint Stock Company, said: "Most of these utility poles are located within the road and drainage ditch areas, so many locations have to be left unfinished, preventing road and drainage ditch construction. This poses a potential risk to labor safety, electrical safety, and traffic safety on the route."

In the project to upgrade and renovate Provincial Road 454, the section from Thai Binh City to Sa Cao Bridge, Phase 1 of the project, spanning nearly 3.5km from the beginning of the route to the intersection with Highway 13, commenced in September 2021. The contract duration was 25 months, with only 5 months remaining. To date, the construction unit has completed 2.5/3.47km of the roadbed and surface up to the C19 asphalt concrete layer; 2.9/3.47km of the Type 2 crushed stone base layer; and 3.9/4.9km of the longitudinal drainage ditches. The construction output has reached approximately 101/137 billion VND. However, according to the project investor and the construction unit, the project risks not being completed on schedule if the "bottleneck" regarding land for the power grid is not resolved soon.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Tuyen, a technical officer at Long Hung Green Environment Co., Ltd., stated: Currently, the project is facing land acquisition issues related to 35 power poles and 2 transformer substations; in particular, phase 1 of the project still has 16 medium-voltage poles that have not been relocated. The construction unit has repeatedly petitioned the local authorities and the electricity sector to resolve these issues, but the implementation process remains slow, leading to interruptions in construction and affecting both the progress and quality of the project.

The project to renovate and upgrade provincial road 455, the section from An Duc commune, Quynh Phu district to provincial road 456, Thai Thuy district, is still facing land acquisition issues related to 60 power poles.

Risk of delays due to power grid infrastructure.

Mr. Bui Chau Binh, Head of Project Management Department, Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works, said that many transportation projects have basically completed their construction items, but due to the slow relocation of the power grid infrastructure, the projects have fallen behind schedule and have had to request extensions many times. The provincial road 454 (formerly road 223) section from Tran Thai Tong road to the intersection with National Highway 10 at TBS Song Tra Industrial Park is a typical example. Started in September 2020 and expected to be completed in June 2022, the project has had to request contract extensions due to many obstacles related to land clearance, including the slow relocation of the power grid system along the route.

Mr. Doan Quang Nam, the construction supervisor of Thai Binh Road Management Joint Stock Company, said: During the project's implementation, due to land acquisition issues involving over 20 power poles, the construction unit had to improvise, laying the roadbed and drainage ditches in areas where land was available, leaving the rest unfinished. This significantly affected the progress and quality of the project. Furthermore, after we completed the asphalt paving, many power poles remained prominently in the middle of the road, posing a potential traffic safety hazard. By the end of 2022, thanks to the close and timely guidance of the authorities at all levels, as well as the active and coordinated efforts of relevant agencies and the construction unit, these issues were finally resolved.

Of the five projects currently managed and implemented by the Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works, 259 power poles and 4 transformer stations are facing obstacles. Construction is currently hampered by land acquisition issues at these locations. Most of these poles are situated within the road and drainage ditch areas, meaning many locations have to be left unfinished, preventing road and drainage construction. This poses safety risks to workers, electrical safety, and road users.

To ensure the construction progress of the projects, the Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works has repeatedly sent written requests to Thai Binh Power Company and the People's Committees of districts and cities regarding the coordination of relocating the power infrastructure system to serve the construction of transportation projects. Specifically, it requested Thai Binh Power Company to urgently develop a plan to relocate the power lines outside the project area and promptly hand over the land to the construction unit. However, to date, implementation remains stalled, leading to the risk of delays for many projects.