Contractors have mobilized a total of 450 construction rigs, 6,500 workers, and 2,200 equipment suitable for construction conditions in the Mekong Delta region (Photo: VGP)
Most of the projects in the Mekong Delta region are behind schedule by 4-15%, mainly due to a shortage of suitable filling material.
At a conference on addressing difficulties and promoting the development of transport infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region on October 16, 2024, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Nguyen Duy Lam, reported to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh that land clearance work for the expressway projects under construction has reached over 99%, basically meeting the construction schedule.
However, the land clearance progress for the Ho Chi Minh Road project has not met the construction requirements (56% in Kien Giang province and 82% in Bac Lieu province). In addition, the Cao Lanh-Lo Te project is still facing land clearance issues at the Lo Te intersection in Can Tho city.
“Despite the efforts of the local authorities, the land clearance work has not been completed as required by the Prime Minister by September 2024,” said Deputy Minister Nguyen Duy Lam.
Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Duy Lam at the conference on October 16 – Photo: VGP/Doan Bac
Regarding the construction work, contractors have mobilized a total of 450 construction rigs, 6,500 workers, and 2,200 equipment suitable for construction conditions in the Mekong Delta region (specifically, the Can Tho-Ca Mau project has mobilized 183 rigs, 971 equipment, and 3,000 workers). However, most of the projects are behind schedule by 4-15%. The main reason is a shortage of suitable filling material. This has caused significant waste of time and resources for the contractors, affecting the construction efficiency and completion schedule of the projects.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the Can Tho-Ca Mau and Ho Chi Minh Road projects need to complete the load test by December 31, 2024, to be able to finish the projects by December 31, 2025.
“However, the Can Tho-Ca Mau project is currently only supplying 54,000 cubic meters of filling material per day, out of the required 76,000 cubic meters. As for the Ho Chi Minh Road project, only the construction of bridges and organic excavation are underway as the procedures for mine allocation have not been completed. Therefore, if the material supply for these projects is not promptly supplemented to meet the required capacity by October 2024, it will be very difficult to meet the schedule,” said Deputy Minister Nguyen Duy Lam.
Regarding the capital allocation for the projects, the Ministry of Transport affirmed that the capital basically meets the construction schedule. Specifically, the Cao Lanh-An Huu project needs an additional VND 250 billion, which the province of Dong Thap is balancing from local sources. The Rach Mieu 2 Bridge project requires an additional VND 1,192 billion, for which the Ministry of Transport has sent a document to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance for a solution.
Challenges in implementing projects in the Mekong Delta region
Talking about the difficulties in implementing projects in the Mekong Delta region, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Duy Lam reported that during the implementation of the projects, the Ministry of Transport and the localities have always received the attention and regular and strong direction of the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.
In particular, the Prime Minister has directly inspected the construction sites and worked with the localities five times to direct and give instructions to overcome difficulties and obstacles and promote the progress of the projects.
However, the supply of filling material is still facing challenges. Although the procedures for mining permits to exploit river sand sources have been completed, the mining capacity of the mines is limited and cannot keep up with the construction progress. In addition, although the Prime Minister has directed the localities (Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, and Soc Trang) to complete the procedures for mining permits by August 30, the progress of mining permit procedures has not met the construction schedule.
Moreover, many mines in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang provinces were found to have insufficient quality and reserves during the survey and evaluation, and alternative mines had to be found, affecting the progress of mining permit allocation. Some mines in Tien Giang province overlap with the inland waterway channel and its protection corridor, while some mines in Ben Tre province are allocated to contractors but fall under the mineral exploitation plan for the period of 2026-2030…
The organization of sea sand mining in Soc Trang province to serve the construction of the Hau Giang-Ca Mau Expressway is currently achieving about 15,000 cubic meters per day. Although the contractors have mobilized a maximum of means nationwide, due to the low water level, only small-capacity ships can be used, and the work is heavily dependent on the weather.
