A series of new construction and upgrading projects for key expressways are being urgently finalized, with accelerated progress aimed at commencement and completion in 2025.
Researching special solutions for selecting investors
On February 15th, the Ministry of Transport officially approved the investment plan for the expansion project of the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The Bai Vot - Ham Nghi expressway will be completed and the main route opened to traffic on April 30th.
The investors proposing the project are a consortium comprising Deo Ca Group Joint Stock Company, Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company, Tasco Joint Stock Company, Hoang Long Construction Investment Corporation, and CII Services and Investment Company Limited.
The leaders of Project Management Board 7 (representing the competent authority - Ministry of Transport) informed that, according to the Prime Minister 's directive, the project must complete the procedures and commence construction in the second quarter of 2025. Three implementation options have been studied.
Option 1: If an investor is selected under special circumstances (taking into consideration and applying the amended provisions of Government Decree 35/2021), the project could commence in the second quarter of 2025.
Option 2 involves selecting the investor through competitive negotiation, with the expected commencement date being January 15, 2026. Option 3 involves selecting the investor through open bidding, with the expected commencement date being February 14, 2026.
According to a representative of Project Management Board 7, applying the conventional investor selection method (open bidding or competitive negotiation) would not allow for the detailed criteria and procedures for selecting an investor that would ensure efficiency.
According to the consultant's assessment, if option 2 or 3 is implemented, the project completion time will be extended by at least 8 months. A delay in project implementation would significantly impact people's transportation needs, social benefits, and national interests.
"The Project Management Board 7 has proposed that the Ministry of Transport report to the Government to soon issue a Decree amending Decree 35/2021, allowing the application of the investor selection method in special cases," a representative of the Project Management Board 7 shared.
Scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2025, the Dau Giay - Tan Phu road project is also being expedited by the Thang Long Project Management Board in completing the necessary procedures for implementation.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Head of the General Planning Department of the Thang Long Project Management Board, said that the bidding process was completed at the end of February and the evaluation of bid documents is currently underway.
After the Ministry of Transport approved the project, the Board organized the selection of a consulting unit to carry out the survey, design, and land clearance work, meeting the conditions for project commencement in the second quarter of this year.
Weather and materials remain the biggest challenges.
In a race against time to prepare for groundbreaking, ongoing construction projects are also striving to accelerate progress, especially the three component projects of the North-South Expressway in the East, expected to be completed by April 30, 2025: Van Phong - Nha Trang, Bai Vot - Ham Nghi, and Ham Nghi - Vung Ang.
As of the end of February 2025, the Van Phong - Nha Trang project had achieved 91% of its contract value.
Mr. Le Quoc Dung, Acting Director of Project Management Board 7 (the investor), said that these days, 14 construction teams, 450 personnel, and nearly 300 pieces of equipment are still working day and night on the construction site. Construction of the last 70km of the route has been basically completed, with only a few minor items remaining, such as finishing the interchanges and reinforcing the embankment slopes.
The remaining work on the project is mainly concentrated in the first 13km of the route, which is being constructed by Hai Dang Company and VNCN EC Company.
Identifying the challenges in the final stage, the leaders of Project Management Board 7 stated that prolonged unfavorable weather remains the biggest difficulty. Materials are the second biggest obstacle, as asphalt concrete aggregate from the Ho Sau quarry cannot be supplied due to the revocation of its license, and the alternative source from the Hon Ngang quarry requires long-distance transportation, incurring additional costs.
Due to the financial difficulties faced by the Hai Dang contractor in providing funding for the construction site, which has led to delays in construction work, the investor is in the process of transferring the work volume to another member of the consortium.
The condition for putting the project into operation is that all construction items must be completed. However, land clearance for the rest stop still requires approximately 7,684 m²; and 4 out of 18 additional access roads proposed by the local authorities have not yet been handed over. To ensure progress, all remaining land needs to be handed over in the coming days.
Focus efforts on getting the project operational by April 30th.
Following the Dien Chau - Bai Vot section of the expressway project, which was put into operation more than half a year ago, thousands of engineers and workers on the next two sections, Bai Vot - Ham Nghi and Ham Nghi - Vung Ang, are also rushing to complete the final items.
According to Mr. Hoang Chien Thang, the project's executive director for the Bai Vot - Ham Nghi section, the project's construction output has reached over 73% of the contract value. One of the key items determining the project's progress, such as soil stabilization, has been completed 100%.
"The main difficulty remains the frequent and prolonged rains. However, the investor and contractor have proactively developed flexible and adaptable construction plans, determined not to let the project miss its April 30th deadline," Mr. Thang asserted.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Khac Trung, the project director for the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang section, stated that the construction site has overcome the most difficult phase. The output achieved has exceeded 83% of the contract value, closely adhering to the set plan.
"Currently, the bridge section is basically complete. The road section has completed the foundation layer and is focusing on asphalt concrete construction. The remaining work mainly involves paving the road surface and ensuring traffic safety... Once the main route is completed, the investor will require the contractor to fully complete the service roads and cross roads," Mr. Trung said.
According to the approved plan, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway expansion project will have a length of over 96km.
Specifically, the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong section is being constructed according to expressway standards with a design speed of 120 km/h, an 8-lane configuration in the phased construction, a 10-lane configuration (Ring Road 4 - Trung Luong section) in the completed phase, and a 12-lane configuration (Cho Dem - Ring Road 4 section) in the completed phase.
The Trung Luong - My Thuan section is being constructed to expressway standards with a design speed of 100 km/h and a scale of 6 lanes. The preliminary total investment is approximately 39,800 billion VND.
The Dau Giay - Tan Phu expressway project is being invested in under the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) method, with a total length of over 60km. Phase 1 of the project is being developed to meet the standards of a Class 100 expressway, with 4 lanes and a roadbed width of 17m. The total investment is approximately over 8,496 billion VND.
The North-South Expressway sections from Bai Vot to Ham Nghi (over 35km long, with a total investment of over 7,600 billion VND) and from Ham Nghi to Vung Ang (over 54km long, with a total investment of nearly 10,000 billion VND) pass through Ha Tinh province.
The Van Phong - Nha Trang expressway section has a total length of over 83km, passing through Khanh Hoa province. The total investment is over 11,800 billion VND.
During the phased development, all three aforementioned component projects were invested in with a scale of 4 lanes, 17m wide, and a maximum speed of 90km/h.
Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/loat-du-an-giao-thong-lon-chay-dua-tien-do-19225030414390336.htm
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