National Highway 19: Construction is slow, affecting people's lives

This project has just been approved to adjust the investment policy to extend the implementation period until December 31, 2024. This is a project invested by the Ministry of Transport (MOT), Project Management Board 2 under the MOT is the project management unit.

The project is being constructed on National Highway 19, with a length of 126 km through Gia Lai province and 17 km through Binh Dinh province. The total investment initially approved was 155.8 million USD (about more than 3,600 billion VND) from a loan of 150 million USD from the World Bank, non-refundable aid from the Australian government and domestic counterpart capital.

According to the original plan, the project was to be constructed from the end of August 2021 and completed in June 2023. In July 2022, the Ministry of Transport decided to supplement the project with VND 500 billion from the state budget. Including both phases, the total investment capital for the project is nearly VND 5,600 billion.

Since the project began, it has received many reactions and complaints from the people as the slow construction progress of the contractors has seriously affected the lives of people living on both sides of the road.

Slow construction of National Highway 19 has greatly affected people's lives.

In early October 2023, on the project route through Gia Lai province, reporters from the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper recorded many sections under construction. In particular, on the road section about 20 km from the center of Dak Doa district to Mang Yang district, the construction site was still messy but there was no sign of workers, there were some machines but they were not working. At some bridges, there were only people setting up tents to watch over the steel but no construction workers.

On this road, the gravel dumped on both sides of the road has been washed away by rainwater, creating deep ditches. Some locations have been built with drainage pipes nearly 1 meter higher than the old road surface, forcing people on both sides of the road to use wooden poles and iron plates to build walkways. Every time it rains heavily, rocks and soil flow into people's houses, causing great damage to property.

Mr. Phan Tan Quoc (residing in Tan Binh commune, Dak Doa district, Gia Lai province) said the drainage culvert is nearly 1 meter higher than the old road surface, causing his mechanic shop to have no customers, making it difficult for his family to go in and out of the house. "It's dusty in the dry season, and water flows everywhere in the rainy season. The project has not progressed for 2 years, I don't know how long we will have to suffer because of this road" - Mr. Quoc was upset.

According to the People's Committee of KDang Commune, Dak Doa District, people have repeatedly complained that the construction of National Highway 19 caused rocks and soil to flow into houses, causing damage to property and crops. The local government has sent three documents requesting Project Management Board 2 and the construction unit to pay support to affected households. However, for more than a year, Project Management Board 2 has not responded. The construction unit promised to pay support by July 20, 2023 at the latest, but has not yet done so.

According to an officer of the Traffic Police Department - Gia Lai Provincial Police, the unfinished construction of National Highway 19 has seriously affected traffic safety.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su/quoc-lo-19-thi-cong-i-ach-anh-huong-dan-sinh-20231004211557294.htm