Crafting a Captivating Headline: Expediting Construction Efforts for Four Vital Expressway Projects Along the North-South Corridor

On the morning of June 7, 2025, in Binh Dinh, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh and the members of Inspection Team 1 of the Prime Minister (Decision No. 486/QD-TTg dated March 1, 2025, of the Prime Minister) had a working session with the leaders of several central ministries and localities (Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, and Phu Yen) on reviewing the implementation of key transport projects with a plan to complete in 2025 to achieve the target of 3,000 km of expressways.

Focus on resolving difficulties and obstacles; aggressively implement construction

The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress identified infrastructure development as one of the three strategic breakthroughs and set a target to strive for 5,000 km of expressways by 2030.

Implementing the guidelines of the Central Committee, since the beginning of the term, the Government and the Prime Minister have paid special attention to and directed a strong focus on mobilizing all resources to promote the implementation of expressway construction projects. On August 18, 2024, the Prime Minister launched the emulation movement “500 days and nights of emulation to complete 3,000 km of expressways”. On March 1, 2025, the Prime Minister established seven inspection teams to review and remove difficulties and obstacles related to key transport projects with a plan to complete in 2025 to achieve the target of 3,000 km of expressways.

With the strong direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, since the beginning of the term, more than 1,100 km of expressways have been completed and put into operation across the country, bringing the total length to 2,268 km, contributing to promoting socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security.

According to Decision No. 486 of the Prime Minister, Inspection Team 1 is assigned to inspect four sub-projects of the North-South Expressway project in the East, including the Hoa Lien-Tuy Loan, Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon-Quy Nhon, and Quy Nhon-Chi Thanh sections, with a total length of 231 km, accounting for nearly 25% of the length of the remaining projects to be completed to achieve the target of putting into operation 3,000 km of expressways.

On March 12 and 13, 2025, Inspection Team 1, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, inspected and worked with the Ministry of Construction and the localities on the implementation of the projects. Concluding the inspection and working session, the Team directed and assigned 19 tasks to the ministries, sectors, and localities to remove bottlenecks and promote the progress of the projects.

Up to now, many contents of the 19 tasks have been implemented with remarkable changes, and the overall progress has been basically guaranteed, including many important tasks such as resolving and handing over more land for the projects. Increasing the capacity of Truong Ban quarry to provide materials for the Hoa Lien-Tuy Loan project. Increasing the capacity of My Trang quarry to provide materials for the Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon project. The Ministry of Finance has coordinated with the Ministry of Construction and localities to review and timely adjust the capital plan for the projects, ensuring sufficient funds for project implementation…

Speaking at the opening of the working session, on behalf of the Government and the Inspection Team, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh highly appreciated and praised the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Finance, the Provincial People’s Committees, and investors for their active implementation and completion of the assigned tasks on time, making important contributions to promoting the progress and ensuring the completion of the projects.

However, there are still seven tasks that are being implemented and have not been completed, including one overdue task, which is that Quang Ngai province has not completed site clearance, and two bridge locations and rest stops have not been handed over. The implementation of construction has not yet ensured the Conclusion of the Inspection Team, with about 30 km of the Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon project expected to be opened to traffic on December 31, 2025 (later than the progress required by the Working Group, opening traffic on September 30, 2025). The progress and construction volume of the Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon and Quy Nhon-Chi Thanh projects are slow…

Stating that these are important projects that contribute to completing the target of 3,000 km of expressways by 2025 and making an important contribution to changing the face of the South Central region, the remaining time is very short, while the workload is still very large, especially the construction volume, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh requested the ministries, sectors, and localities to continue to focus on resolving the existing difficulties and obstacles and aggressively implement construction to complete the projects according to the set targets and requirements.

The projects under implementation basically meet the progress

Regarding the specific implementation of the projects under the inspection of Team 1, the Ministry of Construction said that the Hoa Lien-Tuy Loan project is 11.47 km long and passes through Da Nang city, with a total investment of VND 2,122,985 billion. The completion progress according to the contract is November 2025, and it is expected to be shortened to complete the expressway in August 2025.

According to the investor’s report, the project has one construction package, and up to now, the construction volume has reached 64.0% of the contract (VND 549.84/859.58 billion), which is 0.49% faster. Basically, there are no more difficulties and obstacles, and the project can be opened to traffic on the main route on August 19, 2025, and put into operation on September 2, 2025.

The Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon project is 88 km long, of which 60.3 km passes through Quang Ngai province and 27.7 km through Binh Dinh province, with a total investment of VND 20,469.9 billion. The completion progress according to the contract is September 2026, and it is expected to strive to put into operation the section from Km79 node to the end of the route on August 19, 2025, and the remaining sections will be basically completed before September 30, 2025, except for Tunnel No. 3, which is 3.2 km long and will be basically completed before December 31, 2025.

According to the investor’s report, the parties are making efforts to strive for basic completion before September 30, 2025, except for Tunnel No. 3. However, there are still some difficulties and obstacles in site clearance, including two bridge locations that have not been handed over, and two locations that have been handed over but some households obstruct and do not allow construction…

The Hoai Nhon-Quy Nhon project is 70.1 km long, entirely in Binh Dinh province, with a total investment of VND 12,401.25 billion. The completion progress according to the contract is December 2025, and the progress is shortened as directed by the Prime Minister in September 2025.

According to the investor’s report, basically, the project has no more obstacles, and the parties are making efforts to strive for the completion of the entire project before September 30, 2025. The project has two construction packages, and up to now, the construction volume has reached 72.83% of the contract, which is 0.03% faster than the plan to shorten the completion in September 2025. However, for the 2.5 km section from Km18+650 to Km21+100, the foundation excavation is slow due to the slow handover of natural forest land.

The Quy Nhon-Chi Thanh project is 61.7 km long, of which 19.6 km passes through Binh Dinh province and 42.1 km through Phu Yen province, with a total investment of VND 14,802.46 billion. The completion progress according to the contract is December 2025, and it is expected to be basically completed in September 2025. According to the investor’s report, basically, the project has no more obstacles, and the parties are making efforts to strive for the completion of the entire project before September 30, 2025. However, there are still some difficulties that are being actively resolved by the parties. Specifically, the project has three construction packages, and up to now, the construction volume has reached 76.04% of the contract, which is 0.86% slower than the plan to shorten the completion in September 2025. Some sections of the route face difficulties in construction, and some contractors are slow, so special attention is needed to have timely adjustment solutions.

Generally evaluating, the Ministry of Construction affirmed that the four projects are basically meeting the progress and can complete the sections according to the set milestones, such as the technical opening on August 19, 2025, for about 86.47/231.27 km, earlier than the direction of the Deputy Prime Minister. Technical opening on September 30, 2025, for about 114.7/144.8 km. Only 30.1 km from Km49 to Km79+100, including Tunnel No. 3 of the Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon project, will be opened on December 31, 2025.

Do not sacrifice quality for progress

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh emphasized that with the efforts of the ministries, sectors, localities, investors, and contractors, up to now, the four projects have basically completed many important items.

From the previous inspection (in March 2025) of the Working Group up to now, a large volume of work has been completed. Many difficulties and obstacles have been focused on handling and removing; contractors and construction units have made great efforts and exerted themselves and had suitable construction solutions for each project and road section.

Once again emphasizing the existing problems of the projects as analyzed and pointed out at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh requested the ministries, sectoral functions, localities with projects going through, contractors, and construction units to overcome difficulties and obstacles; continue to make efforts, focus all forces, mobilize all resources, equipment, and machinery and apply modern technical solutions to complete the set targets and requirements for the projects. According to the report, the remaining site clearance volume is not much, so it is necessary to request the localities to urgently and drastically resolve the remaining site clearance problems.

In the process of project implementation, it is necessary to focus on promoting progress but still have to fully comply with the processes, standards, and norms to ensure the quality of the work; absolutely not let the situation of sacrificing quality for progress happen. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure absolute safety for laborers at the construction site, along with doing well in ensuring environmental sanitation and preserving natural scenery and ecological environment.

To promote the construction progress, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh especially noted that investors and contractors should continue to strengthen human resources, equipment, and modern machinery, organize construction in three shifts and four groups, and construct on holidays and holidays to complete the projects as committed. Clearly define the targets to focus on directing and managing; have suitable solutions to make up for the delayed volume of work, and have a backup plan in case the weather conditions affect the progress of the projects./.