Prime Minister Inspects the Construction Site, Emphasizing Key Expressway Projects

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was accompanied on his inspection tour by the leaders of the relevant ministries, agencies, central authorities, and provinces involved in the highway projects.

The first project inspected by the Prime Minister was the Van Phong – Nha Trang section of the North – South Expressway, Eastern Route, Phase 2021-2025. The inspection site was the intersection with National Highway 26 in Khanh Hoa Province.

The Van Phong – Nha Trang section is over 83 km long, passing through 4 districts and towns: Van Ninh, Ninh Hoa, Dien Khanh, and Khanh Vinh in Khanh Hoa Province. The total investment of the project is VND 11,808 billion; construction began in January 2023 and is scheduled to be completed in December 2025.

To date, land clearance has largely met the requirements; 83.03 km/83.35 km have been handed over, reaching 99.7%. Only 0.32 km of the main route remains to be cleared; 6/6 resettlement areas have been completed and 203/203 households have been relocated. However, the relocation of essential infrastructure such as power lines remains challenging and the relevant agencies and Khanh Hoa Province are currently working hard to address the issue.

Regarding construction, according to the report, at the beginning of the project, under the strong direction of the Government, the Ministry of Transport, and Project Management Unit 7, the contractors were all reliable and specialized, such as Son Hai Corporation. These contractors actively sought and resolved issues related to construction materials from the outset, and proactively manufactured, ordered, and stockpiled supplies and materials to avoid shortages and price gouging. They also mobilized equipment and personnel, accelerating the project’s progress by operating in 3 shifts and 4 teams during the dry season. As a result, the project’s output to date has exceeded the contract plan by about 5%.

The supply of construction materials and waste disposal is not an issue and is generally in line with the project’s progress. The demand for rock materials is 2.1 million m3 and will be met by utilizing excavated roadbed rock and extracting rock from 9 operating quarries. The demand for sand is approximately 0.3 million m3 for concrete and will be sourced from commercial quarries. The demand for fill soil is approximately 7.26 million m3; currently, 17/17 quarries are being exploited with a total reserve of approximately 7.64 million m3, and the contractor is proposing the addition of 1 quarry as a reserve.

The contractors have mobilized 42/42 construction teams, 1,020 pieces of equipment, and 1,877 workers throughout the entire route. The cumulative output to date is VND 3,451 billion/7,138 billion, reaching 50% of the contract value and exceeding the contract plan by 5%. The actual output of each contractor is generally ahead of schedule.

The Prime Minister commends the Project Management Unit and contractors for their proactive and active implementation of the project, gaining experience from previous projects.

The Prime Minister requests that the target date of April 30, 2025 be set as the deadline for the completion of the project and that efforts be made to shorten the construction time; continue to promote the spirit of “overcoming sun and rain,” “working overtime, increasing shifts,” “eating hastily, sleeping promptly,” “working in 3 shifts and 4 teams, through holidays and Tet”; improve quality, ensure technical aspects, aesthetics, safety, and environmental hygiene.

Regarding the remaining land clearance issues, the Prime Minister requests that the locality and EVN urgently address and resolve them; note that EVN should transfer equipment from other projects to this project to avoid delays caused by “waiting for” equipment.

In addition, the Prime Minister notes that corruption and negativity should be thoroughly investigated and prevented.