Due to material shortages, many projects in Ho Chi Minh City risk delays.

Many key infrastructure projects in Ho Chi Minh City are behind schedule and face the risk of missing deadlines due to a severe shortage of construction materials.

The construction site is exhausted.

According to the plan, the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 project, the western section passing through the former Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, and Binh Chanh areas, with a length of approximately 32.6km, was scheduled to be fully completed before June 30th. However, observations show that construction sites on many sections remain in disarray. The biggest difficulty currently at the construction site is the supply of construction materials. A representative of a contractor involved in packages XL8 and XL10 stated that the demand for stone alone amounts to 88,000m3, but only over 30,000m3 has been supplied so far.

Notably, according to the original plan, the route was to be technically opened to traffic no later than December 31, 2025, and aimed for full operation by April 30, 2026. However, for various reasons, the completion deadline has been adjusted, with the new requirement being to put the entire route into operation before June 30, 2026.

Similarly, the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Nuoc Len canal renovation project, which commenced in February 2023, is currently facing a significant impact due to a shortage of construction materials. Many sections of the road have only been paved with crushed stone, and some sections are still just unpaved dirt roads. The Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Investment and Construction Project Management Board (the investor) stated that the goal of completing the entire project by the end of this year is unlikely to be achieved. The reason is the scarcity and high prices of construction materials, which are affecting the contractors' construction plans.

Construction site of Phuoc Khanh bridge on the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway. Photo: Thuc Vy.

Meanwhile, after years of suspension, the construction of the Phuoc Khanh bridge (spanning the Long Tau river, connecting Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City and Nhon Trach, Dong Nai province) on the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway has recently resumed. However, it also faces many difficulties due to the high increase in construction material prices.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thiem, a construction materials engineer at Bac Trung Nam Infrastructure Construction Joint Stock Company, stated: “At the end of 2025, the price of sand was only about 385,000 VND/m3, but now it has increased to nearly 500,000 VND/m3; the price of construction stone was previously 594,000 VND/m3, but now it has risen to 700,000 VND/m3; the price of steel has increased by more than 10% in the South since the beginning of 2026... The high price of construction materials has affected construction work on the site.”

Prioritize the supply of construction materials for key projects.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Department, facing the pressure of a shortage of construction sand, the Department has requested the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to provide support to alleviate the material scarcity. Simultaneously, the Department is strengthening its supervision and tightening management of contractors, especially those with slow progress and weak capabilities. Many solutions have been implemented, such as regular site inspections, detailed reports at each location of delays, and close monitoring of the ability to mobilize manpower, machinery, and materials.

On the afternoon of June 1st, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Bui Xuan Cuong signed and issued Document No. 4558/UBND-ĐT on strengthening the management and stabilization of construction material prices, ensuring the implementation of construction investment projects, especially key national projects in the city.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee requests that departments, agencies, and localities continue to strictly implement legal regulations on pricing, and the Prime Minister 's directives related to the management and stabilization of prices of construction materials, fuel, and input materials; strengthen inspection and supervision, and prevent acts of speculation, hoarding, price gouging, and exploiting market fluctuations to unreasonably increase prices.

Specifically, the Department of Construction is tasked with proactively monitoring market developments, collecting and processing information on construction material prices; reviewing and assessing price fluctuations to advise on appropriate management solutions. The Department is also responsible for promptly updating, adjusting, and publishing construction material prices and construction price indices that closely reflect market levels, especially for materials with unusual price fluctuations due to fuel price influences.

Ring Road 3 section passing through Binh My commune. Photo: Thuc Vy.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has requested the Department of Construction to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Environment to review the demand for construction materials, prioritizing the supply for key national projects, strategic investors, and urgent public works projects. The Department of Agriculture and Environment is tasked with regularly reviewing the reserves of mineral mines used as common construction materials, accelerating the licensing process, and increasing mining capacity.

For the Project Management Boards for investment and construction projects under the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the city requires them to proactively forecast fluctuations in material prices, strictly control investment costs, review ongoing contracts, and coordinate with contractors to resolve difficulties and ensure the progress of projects and works in accordance with the law.

Previously, in May 2026, the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee issued a plan to implement Directive 03-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership over the management and development of construction materials in the new period.

According to the plan, the city will develop and implement a project for the development of construction materials in Ho Chi Minh City until 2030, with a vision to 2050, aiming to unify the management of investment, production, and business activities of construction materials in the area. Simultaneously, it will build a unified digital database and mineral resource map system across the entire area, ensuring interconnectedness and synchronization between material sources (stone, leveling sand, sea sand), serving to effectively regulate supply and reduce dependence on external sources.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/thieu-vat-lieu-nhieu-du-an-o-tphcm-nguy-co-tre-hen-d814442.html