Risk of delays in the multi-billion dollar project to upgrade National Highway 7.

03/08/2024 | 05:35

Nghe An :

TPO – After nearly two years of construction, all three packages of the project to renovate, upgrade, and expand National Highway 7 from Km0-Km36 through Nghe An province remain unfinished and risk falling behind schedule due to difficulties in land clearance.

Video shows a close-up view of National Highway 7A (Nghe An province), facing the risk of delays due to land clearance issues.

Project Management Board 4 has reported on the progress of the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 7, section Km0-Km36, and address landslides caused by storms and floods in the Khe Thoi - Nam Can section. According to the report, the project has not yet been completed as planned.

The project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 7, section Km0-Km36, and address landslides caused by storms and floods in the Khe Thoi – Nam Can section was approved by the Ministry of Transport on March 18, 2022, and officially commenced in September 2022. The project has a total investment of over 1,300 billion VND and a total length of 27.5 km, passing through Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, and Do Luong districts of Nghe An province.

The project is divided into three construction packages: 01, 02, and 03. Package 02 was expected to be completed in July 2023 to connect with the Nghi Son – Dien Chau section of the expressway; the remaining two packages were scheduled for completion in 2024. However, as of July, all three construction packages had not yet reached completion, with package 01 at 72.6%, package 02 at 69.5%, and package 03 at 79.1%.

There are many reasons why the projects have not been completed. However, the main reason is that the project is still facing land acquisition issues along the route. The land has not been handed over continuously, causing construction to be left unfinished.

According to the report, by mid-July, the districts of Yen Thanh, Do Luong, and Dien Chau had handed over 52.84km/55.4km of land, reaching 95.37%, including both the left and right sides of the route. Many households have yet to accept compensation and hand over the land to the construction unit.

The railway overpass in Dien Phuc commune, Dien Chau district, has not been completed due to land acquisition issues.

The bridge is under construction, the road is narrow, and it's located right at the intersection with the railway, causing frequent localized traffic congestion.

A narrow section of the old National Highway 7 passing through Hamlet 8, Vien Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh District) cannot yet be upgraded or widened.

The slow and unfinished construction has significantly impacted the lives of residents along the road and traffic on the route. Every time a vehicle passes by, dust flies up in thick clouds.

The Project Management Board 4 (Ministry of Transport) stated that it has submitted a report to the People's Committee of Nghe An province and proposed that the province direct relevant agencies and localities to hand over the land for the remaining problematic sections no later than July 2024. For households that are obstructing or resisting construction and do not meet the compensation criteria, the local authorities are requested to organize security for the construction work no later than July of this year.

However, as of August 2024, the land along the route had still not been fully handed over to allow for the completion of the project. Speaking with a reporter from Tien Phong newspaper , Mr. Nguyen Van Duong – Vice Chairman of the Yen Thanh District People's Committee – said that currently, 50 households in the district have not yet agreed to hand over their land for the construction of National Highway 7. Mr. Duong stated that the district has developed a construction protection plan and is awaiting assessment from the relevant authorities before implementation.

Reportedly, the Ministry of Transport has extended the deadlines for the contract packages to be completed in November. Given the current situation, it is unlikely that these packages will meet the expected deadlines.

Ngoc Tu

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguy-co-vo-tien-do-du-an-nghin-ty-len-doi-quoc-lo-7-post1660097.tpo