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A video providing a close-up look at National Highway 7A (in Nghe An province), which is at risk of falling behind schedule due to challenges with land clearance. |
The Project Management Unit 4 has reported on the progress of the project to upgrade and renovate National Highway 7 from Km0 to Km36 and address landslides caused by storms and floods in the Khe Thoi – Nam Can section. As of now, the project has not been completed as planned.
The project to upgrade and renovate National Highway 7 from Km0 to Km36 and address landslides caused by storms and floods in the Khe Thoi – Nam Can section was approved by the Ministry of Transport on March 18, 2022, and officially started in September 2022. With a total investment of over VND 1,300 billion and a total length of 27.5 km, the project passes through Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, and Do Luong districts of Nghe An province.
The project is divided into three construction packages: 01, 02, and 03. Package 02 was expected to be completed by July 2023 to connect with the Nghi Son – Dien Chau expressway project; the remaining two packages were to be completed in 2024. However, as of July, none of the three construction packages have been finished, with Package 01 at 72.6% completion, Package 02 at 69.5%, and Package 03 at 79.1%.
There are multiple reasons for the delay in completing the construction packages, but the main issue is the project’s struggle with land clearance along the route. The discontinuous land handover has led to an interrupted construction process.
According to the report, by mid-July, the districts of Yen Thanh, Do Luong, and Dien Chau had handed over 52.84 km of the 55.4 km of land required, achieving 95.37% of the total land needed on both sides of the route. However, many households have not yet agreed to the compensation and are refusing to hand over the land to the construction unit.
The overpass at Dien Phuc commune, Dien Chau district, has not been completed due to land clearance issues.
The unfinished bridge, combined with the narrow road and its intersection with the railway, has led to frequent traffic congestion in the area.
A section of the old National Highway 7 in Village 8, Vien Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district) awaits upgrade and expansion.
The slow and interrupted construction process has significantly impacted the lives of residents living along the route and the traffic flow on the highway. Every time a vehicle passes by, thick clouds of dust are stirred up.
Project Management Unit 4 (Ministry of Transport) stated that they have submitted a report to the People’s Committee of Nghe An province and proposed that the provincial authorities direct relevant agencies and localities to hand over the remaining land sections by July 2024. For households that obstruct or oppose the project and do not meet the conditions for compensation, it was requested that the local authorities organize construction protection by July of this year.
However, as of August 2024, the land handover process is still not complete, hindering the continuation of construction work. In a conversation with the reporter from Tien Phong, Mr. Nguyen Van Duong, Vice Chairman of Yen Thanh District People’s Committee, shared that 50 households in the district have not agreed to hand over the land for the construction of National Highway 7. Mr. Duong also mentioned that the district has developed a construction protection plan and is awaiting approval from the competent authorities for implementation.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Transport has extended the deadline for the construction packages to November. Given the current situation, it seems unlikely that the packages will be completed within the expected timeframe.
