Racing to the Finish Line: Transforming Expressway Projects with a New Look

On August 18, from the main hub at the Khanh Hoa – Buon Ma Thuot Expressway project in the province of Dak Lak, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Council for Emulation and Rewards, launched a high-intensity emulation campaign with the theme “500 Days and Nights of Emulation to Complete 3,000 km of Expressways.” The Prime Minister demanded that Party committees provide close and determined guidance, that the entire political system be mobilized, and that the authorities take resolute action.

In all cases of difficulties and obstacles, the forces participating in the project need to unite in determination, with the mindset of “only discussing how to do it, not how to retreat.” Provinces with material resources should actively support those facing greater challenges, providing them directly to investors and contractors. Investors, project management units, and contractors should demonstrate a high sense of responsibility, mobilize the maximum amount of machinery and equipment, and organize scientific and continuous construction, with the mindset that “once we start, we will win,” and that “what we do and implement must produce tangible results that can be weighed and measured.”

Over 600 Workers Toil on the Van Phong-Nha Trang Expressway

Mr. Tran Ba Lam, Commander of Package XL2 of the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project, said that in the last days of September, Package XL2 had mobilized over 600 engineers and workers and more than 300 vehicles to take advantage of the sunny weather at the construction site to race against time, ensuring that the project will meet its deadline by April 30, 2025.

“Since the Prime Minister launched the emulation campaign ‘500 Days and Nights to Complete 3,000 km of Expressways,’ the Son Hai Group has mobilized machinery and equipment 1.3 times more than before and doubled its workforce,” said Mr. Tran Ba Lam. “Along with maintaining construction in three shifts and four teams, the contractor’s current average output has reached VND 90 billion per month, 1.5 times higher than before the campaign.”

A representative of Thang Long Corporation also shared that their output has increased by about 1.8 times compared to before the launch of the campaign, as they have mobilized 1.4 times more vehicles and equipment and added construction teams for various items. Their current output value stands at VND 420 billion, exceeding the plan by nearly 2%.

Ham Nghi – Vung Ang Expressway Expected to Finish Six Months Ahead of Schedule

The 54.2-km-long Ham Nghi – Vung Ang Expressway has a total investment of over VND 9,700 billion. It starts in Thach Xuan commune, Thach Ha district, connecting with the Bai Vot – Ham Nghi sub-project, and ends in Ky Tan commune, Ky Anh district, connecting with the Vung Ang – Bung sub-project.

The 55.34-km-long Vung Ang – Bung Expressway has a total investment of over VND 12,500 billion. The section passing through Ha Tinh province is 12.9 km long, starting at the intersection of National Highway 12C, Ky Tan commune, Ky Anh district, and ending in Ky Lac commune, Ky Anh district. To date, the construction of the foundation, subgrade, and pavement has been basically completed, and the stone chip base and asphalt concrete pavement have been laid.

On the Ham Nghi – Vung Ang Expressway, with the goal of completing the project by April 30, 2025, six months ahead of schedule, the management board, along with the contractor, supervisor, and consultant, reviewed the progress of critical items. The contractor has mobilized 53 teams and about 750 vehicles and equipment of various types that are on standby at the construction site. The construction output has reached about 55% of the contract value.

A representative of the Thang Long Project Management Board (under the Ministry of Transport), the investor of the Ham Nghi – Vung Ang project, said that to achieve the goal of completing the project eight months ahead of schedule and putting it into operation in April 2025, the contractors have arranged a maximum of human resources and machinery, working in three shifts and four teams day and night. As of now, the entire route has achieved over 50% of the contract value.

Despite the scorching sun, hundreds of engineers and workers are striving to maintain shifts and tirelessly push forward the construction progress of the expressway section in Ha Tinh province. Equipment, machinery, and manpower have been mobilized to the maximum to carry out critical tasks before the rainy season.

Deputy Commander of Military Commercial Joint Stock Company 471 Tran An Thuyen shared that as Ha Tinh will enter the rainy season at the end of September, they are taking advantage of the favorable weather to accelerate progress. Currently, the company has deployed 25 vehicles and 70 workers at the construction site, maintaining shift work with a 16-hour workday.

It is known that Military Commercial Joint Stock Company 471 is implementing the package from Km514+300 to Km517+620 of the Ham Nghi – Vung Ang Expressway. They are rushing to complete the bridge and asphalt concrete pavement before the rainy season. Other tasks such as completing the retaining wall, the connecting road, and installing the central divider will continue during the rainy season.

Manpower and Machinery Are Ready, but There Are Concerns About Material Shortages

As one of the projects with the best progress among the eastern North-South Expressway sub-projects, the management board of Package 7 is still concerned that the construction and disbursement pace of the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway may be slowed down by bottlenecks in site clearance. Specifically, the Van Phong – Nha Trang route still has a 1.44-km section that cannot be constructed due to technical infrastructure obstacles, especially 12 locations of 110kV and 220kV power lines.

According to the leader of the Department of Investment and Construction Management (under the Ministry of Transport), with the resolute direction of the Prime Minister, the rate of site clearance for the second phase of the Khanh Hoa – Buon Ma Thuot Expressway project in Dak Lak province increased by 7.3%; the site clearance for the second phase of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway project in Dong Nai province increased by 20%; the construction area of the Hoa Lien – Tuy Loan Expressway increased by 4.4%; and the site clearance for the Rach Soi – Ben Nhat and Go Quao – Vinh Tuan sections of the Ho Chi Minh Road project increased by nearly 18%. These favorable conditions enable the projects to accelerate construction and progressive disbursement.

However, the current challenge is that the progress of mining license issuance in some localities has not met the requirements, especially for projects in the Mekong Delta region.

As of mid-September 2024, besides Vinh Long province, which has granted a license for 1.1/3.4 million m3, the provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre are still in the process of granting and supplementing mines.

The Planning and Investment Department has advised the Ministry’s leaders to direct investors to request contractors to accelerate the construction of items less affected by the weather, such as traffic safety systems (casting dividers, producing guardrails, and making signs); stockpiling stone chips, gravel, and asphalt… and proactively constructing them as soon as the weather permits.