Scientific construction organization accelerates progress on the North Expressway.

Numerous obstacles are hindering the construction progress.

On March 21st, continuing his working trip to Central Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Duy Lam held a meeting with contractors and consultants for two component projects of the North-South Expressway passing through Ha Tinh province.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Duy Lam worked with the construction units of the two projects, Bai Vot - Ham Nghi and Ham Nghi - Vung Ang.

At the meeting, Mr. Do Thanh Chung, Deputy Director of Xuan Truong Construction Company (the contractor for the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang expressway), said: Currently today some   The established norms and unit prices for labor and machinery are not realistic. The estimated material prices are not in line with local price levels, causing difficulties for numerous contractors... Although specialized material quarries have been granted to contractors for exploitation to serve the project, there are still no guidelines on how to calculate material prices at the quarries.

Furthermore, the survey and design work had some discrepancies compared to the actual site conditions. "Initially, it was planned to use 700,000 m³ of stone from the hill at Km560, utilizing it for concrete aggregate and crushed stone grade 1. However, in reality, only about 100,000 m³ could be utilized, leaving the unit in a passive position regarding materials for bridge and culvert construction, requiring the preparation of revised documents."

"For example, at the Km535 hill site, the initial design plan was to excavate. But during construction, they encountered a lot of hard rock and had to use explosives. And to use explosives, it takes 3 months to complete the procedures... Notably, even when the weather is good, the unit has to go through the procedures. After completing the procedures, they encounter rain and wind. These issues have greatly affected the progress and output of the construction," Mr. Chung cited as an example.

The contractors for the two projects raised concerns and obstacles encountered during the project implementation at the meeting.

Mr. Chung hoped that, through this meeting, the Ministry of Transport would direct the Project Management Board and the consultants to work together with the contractors to resolve the remaining issues.

Also at the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang expressway project, Mr. Mai Anh Dong - General Director of Company 471, said that the unit is simultaneously implementing the project. Progress has reached 33%.

Similar to other contractors, the biggest challenge for 471 is the standard unit price and the issue of material adjustments.

According to Mr. Dong, looking at the report, it can be seen that the disbursement rate in this project is low, while the actual construction output of the contractor is high. The reason is that the approved output, after adjustments to material sources, is still low.

Therefore, the contractor requests the Ministry to direct the Project Management Board and consultants to promptly approve, or increase the percentage of provisional approval for completed work for the contractor. For locations requiring technical design adjustments or changes in soil stabilization solutions, after the Board and consultants approve the implementation on the construction site, they should also approve and sign the payment supplement for the contractors immediately, or update it at fixed intervals to avoid disbursement backlogs.

The Deputy Minister urged the units and contractors not to be complacent because the deadline for completing the project is approaching while output remains low.

Sharing the contractor's difficulties, Deputy Minister Lam suggested that the survey and design unit needs to be more thorough. During the survey process, especially in locations using recycled materials, the thickness of the boreholes should be increased to accurately assess the geological conditions. As the contractor pointed out, the design was not realistic, leading to the need to purchase materials from commercial quarries and buy ready-mix concrete, which affected the contractor's construction progress.

Regarding the consulting firm, engineer Nguyen Ngoc Dung - Project Manager of Package 12 Ham Nghi - Vung Ang (HECO Company) stated: During the survey process, due to the limited number of boreholes, it was impossible to fully assess the reserves and quality of materials at the extraction site. As soon as discrepancies were discovered, the consultant, together with the Project Management Board, immediately prepared and approved adjustments for the contractor.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Van – Deputy Director of the Investment and Construction Management Department (Ministry of Transport) assessed: Looking at the current progress and the remaining time, the project can absolutely be completed by June 2025.

However, Mr. Van also expressed concern that contractors' schedules were not aligned with the overall construction methods or the site conditions.

"The units need to conduct a comprehensive review; the construction plan must be aligned with the site. At the same time, they must continue to review and address issues arising after the route is completed, such as: drainage systems, traffic safety systems, intersections… The process must be consistent in terms of documentation and procedures, and the origin and quality of materials used in the project must be controlled," Mr. Van said, adding: Regarding the issue of material prices at the quarry, the Construction Investment Management Department has worked with the Construction Economics Department ( Ministry of Construction ) to review and provide guidance on how to calculate prices as soon as possible.

Project quality is a crucial factor for the survival of a business and the political lifeline of project managers.

Acknowledging the efforts of the contractors on both North-South expressway projects through Ha Tinh, Deputy Minister Nguyen Duy Lam emphasized: The contractors participating in the project were carefully selected by the Ministry of Transport, being capable, experienced units, and especially those who have participated in previous expressway projects. Being selected is an honor but also a responsibility.

The North-South expressway project passing through Ha Tinh province is still facing some obstacles related to the power grid infrastructure.

This project started in January 2023, with a few packages delayed by 1-2 months. But after 14 months (almost half the project's implementation time), the contractors have only achieved about 30% of the work volume (Xuan Truong alone has about 20%).

"We are also striving to complete the project ahead of schedule, reaching the finish line by June 30, 2025. This means the project construction time is only 15 months away, and there is still a lot of work to be done. We have overcome the most difficult challenges in the initial phase, and now we must make even greater efforts and strive harder," the Deputy Minister said, and urged the contractor to reassess their responsibilities.

"Contractors who have been trusted and selected must fulfill their commitments to the investor and the Ministry of Transport. Quality must always be the top priority. Quality is the decisive factor for the survival of the enterprise and the political lifeline of project managers. Contractors must pay close attention; this is a project awarded through a direct bidding process, so work must be done efficiently, and all necessary documents and procedures must be followed correctly and completely," the Deputy Minister emphasized.

Xuan Truong Private Enterprise is undertaking construction work at the Ham Nghi - Vung Ang project.

Furthermore, the Deputy Minister stated that the Ministry of Transport is directing relevant units to resolve difficulties for contractors and coordinating with the Ministry of Construction to soon issue a new set of regulations on unit price norms.

However, the contractor itself must make an effort, adjusting shifts and schedules based on weather conditions and site conditions, and developing a construction plan that suits the practical situation. Time is running out for the project, so the contractor must accelerate progress now. At the same time, they must prepare supplies and materials in advance, avoiding delays until the final stages.

The Deputy Minister also requested that consulting units uphold their roles and responsibilities in promptly supporting contractors in handling arising issues and reviewing documents. Project management boards should continue to closely monitor local authorities to definitively resolve outstanding land-related issues.

"The Minister has directed that, with the 12 component projects of the North-South Expressway Phase 2, when the road is put into operation, the rest stops, intelligent traffic control centers, and access roads must be completed simultaneously. Therefore, from now on, the Project Management Board must develop an implementation plan," the Deputy Minister noted.

Reporting to the Deputy Minister and the delegation, Mr. Ho Ngoc Loan - Deputy Director of the Thang Long Project Management Board (Project investor - Ministry of Transport) stated: At the Bai Vot - Ham Nghi project, the total value of work completed by the two contractors, VINACONEX and General Corporation 319 of the Ministry of National Defense, has reached 1,317 billion VND out of 4,873 billion VND (27%). The Board has disbursed 100% of the planned capital allocated for 2023 and 46% (607 billion VND) of the planned capital allocated for 2024.

The Ham Nghi - Vung Ang project has reached 21.81% completion to date (output of 1,377.04 billion VND/6,314.48 billion VND). Specifically, for package XL11, the Xuan Truong – Tu Lap – 471 consortium has achieved 815%/3,534 billion VND (equivalent to 23.07%). In this package, Tu Lap and 471 have met or exceeded their planned progress. Xuan Truong, however, has only reached 19%.

Package XL12, a joint venture between Xuan Truong and Construction Company 368, has achieved 562/2,780 billion VND (20.22%). Construction Company 368 has reached 42.5%, while Xuan Truong has reached nearly 17% (2.6% behind). The project's disbursement rate for 2024 is 138/1,437 billion VND, approximately 9%.

According to Mr. Loan, Ha Tinh province has done a good job in land clearance and granting mining permits to contractors for construction. The issue here is that contractors must have a reasonable and scientific construction plan to avoid affecting the progress.

Following the Deputy Minister's inspection and today's meeting, representatives of the contractors committed to providing sufficient machinery and personnel for construction; in addition, the units will meet again to agree on a systematic and scientific approach to organizing construction along the route.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/to-chuc-thi-cong-khoa-hoc-but-toc-tien-do-cao-toc-bac-nam-qua-ha-tinh-192240321191959347.htm