The Ca Mau Airport construction site is brightly lit during the Tet holiday. Photo: Tuan Phi/TTXVN.
During the sacred moment of the Lunar New Year's Eve of the Year of the Horse 2026, while millions of families across Vietnam gathered around their New Year's Eve dinner tables, enjoying the atmosphere of reunion, construction continued at key projects such as the Ca Mau - Dat Mui Expressway, the road connecting Hon Khoai Island, and the Hon Khoai dual-use general port. The soldiers of Truong Son, along with the engineers and workers, toiled tirelessly through the night and throughout the Tet holiday, weaving together roads of faith and aspiration to reach the open sea.
Commands from the heart
The Ca Mau - Dat Mui expressway project, combined with the transportation route to the island and the Hon Khoai dual-use general port, are not simply transportation infrastructure projects. These are national strategic projects, expected to open up new development opportunities and create a breakthrough impetus for the Dat Mui region of Ca Mau to become an important international trade gateway, not only for the Mekong Delta but also for the whole country.
Sharing his thoughts on the significance of the projects, Colonel Le Xuan Long, Director of Project Management Board 166 ( Ministry of National Defense ), affirmed: "These projects are the heartbeat of the will and faith of the entire Party and people; they are vivid symbols of the fighting spirit and determination to win of the heroic Vietnamese People's Army in its journey to open up new horizons. They also represent the convergence of strategic vision, aspirations for sustainable development, and a sacred responsibility towards the nation's seas and islands."
Investing in these projects helps to seamlessly connect the Eastern North-South Expressway all the way to the southernmost point of Dat Mui, linking the mainland with Hon Khoai Island, realizing the development orientation of Hon Khoai into the "southernmost mainland" of the country. The spirit of "overcoming the sun and rain" on the construction site was ignited by the urgent decision, like a "command" that General Secretary To Lam emphasized during his field inspection: The project's progress is the progress of the people's trust, the prestige of the State, and responsibility for the country's future. With that spirit, every officer and soldier on the construction site is committed to the idea: not to delay an hour, not to retreat a step, and not to let any link hinder the overall progress.
Workers inspect and maintain construction machinery at Ca Mau Airport. Photo: Tuan Phi/TTXVN.
Putting aside personal matters, the soldiers of Truong Son celebrated a very special Spring on the massive construction site. For them, the most meaningful aspect of Tet (Lunar New Year) was the quality and progress of each meter of road and each construction project. Colonel Tran Bach Duong, Deputy Commander of the 12th Army Corps and Deputy General Director of Truong Son Construction Corporation, proudly shared: "The soldiers of our unit did not let personal feelings distract them from their duty. Our Tet carries the mission of paving the way for national development. The faith and traditions of the Truong Son soldiers, along with the support of the local government and people, have given us strong motivation to exceed the set plan."
The presence of soldiers at the forefront of the nation's defense during Tet (Lunar New Year) is not only about fulfilling economic and national defense duties, but also about affirming the nation's sovereignty and its will to rise. For Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Hanh and engineer Tran Ru Bi, the feeling of celebrating Tet away from home in this sacred land is a mixture of longing for family and pride in contributing to extending the sacred mainland into the sea.
“In this moment of harmony between heaven and earth, I have many mixed emotions that are difficult to express in words, including pride and honor in being able to work alongside my teammates, contributing a small part to each project, thereby extending the sacred mainland of our homeland in its journey to reach out strongly to the open sea,” said Tran Ru Bi, an engineer from the Truong Son 10 Project Management Board, Hon Khoai Island transportation route project, proudly.
Although he has participated in many large-scale projects nationwide, for Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Hanh, Deputy Head of the Truong Son 10 Project Management Board (Army Corps 12), celebrating Tet away from home in a special place like the southernmost tip of the country brings a very different and proud feeling. “Celebrating Tet away from home, in this sacred land of the Fatherland, makes us even more aware of our responsibilities. The unit has developed a plan for on-duty work and construction throughout Tet, ensuring progress and determined to exceed all set targets,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mai Van Hanh.
Season of aspirations for rebuilding
Construction work continues through the night at the Ca Mau Airport construction site. Photo: Tuan Phi/TTXVN
To ensure that key projects are completed on schedule, Ca Mau province has mobilized the entire political system with decisive and coordinated solutions. This is considered a prime example of close and harmonious coordination between the local authorities and construction units.
According to Lê Văn Sử, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cà Mau province, the province has established a provincial-level Steering Committee and requested localities with projects passing through them to establish similar bodies for continuous guidance. Technically, the province has directed relevant agencies to closely coordinate with the design unit to select the most optimal route: the straightest, shortest, and easiest to acquire land for. At the same time, construction solutions have been thoroughly researched to suit the geological characteristics of the Mũi Cà Mau region, ensuring sustainability and environmental friendliness.
The biggest highlight in the implementation process was the compensation and land clearance work. With an affected area of approximately 700 hectares and 650 households, after only 5 months of preparation (including 2 months for handing over boundary markers), Ca Mau province had essentially handed over 100% of the project area. This is a record for the shortest investment preparation time in Ca Mau to date.
Workers operate machinery throughout the night at Ca Mau Airport. Photo: Tuan Phi/TTXVN.
The consensus of the people is the key to "opening the way". Mr. Le Van Hong, residing in Dat Mui commune, excitedly said: "Even in our dreams, we never thought that one day a road would extend from the mainland to the island and build a deep-water port like Hon Khoai. The people of Dat Mui are eagerly awaiting the completion of the expressway to Dat Mui, which will not only shorten travel time but also open up opportunities for locals and tourists to visit."
Not only did the local people support the project in principle, but they also showed warm feelings and deep understanding for the officials, engineers, and workers on the construction site, acknowledging the hardships they faced working under the sun, wind, and mud. Mr. Nguyen Van Sua (a resident of Dat Mui commune) said emotionally, "I'm happy for the future of our children and grandchildren, but I'm also worried about the health of the team members who have to carry out their duties under such harsh conditions. During the Lunar New Year, everyone here hopes that the team members will come to our homes to celebrate the holiday and ease our homesickness."
The Spring of 2026 in the southernmost region of Vietnam is truly a spring of labor and construction, building structures that are "higher, longer, and farther," connecting aspirations. The aspiration for a Ca Mau that is no longer far away, for a Ca Mau that rises to become the proud "prow" of the Vietnamese ship, steadily advancing into a new era.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/xuan-ron-rang-บน-cong-truong-trong-diem-quoc-gia-20260216134218412.htm
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