The Highway to Success: Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang Route Set to Open by Year-End

The Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang Expressway Project, a key national transportation project, is currently underway with intense focus from investors and contractors. While the project faces challenges in terms of material sources, significant efforts are being made to meet the technical completion target by the end of 2025, as directed by the Prime Minister.

As of now, the construction progress of the three component projects 2, 3, and 4, spanning the new route through Can Tho (including Can Tho, Hau Giang, and the former Soc Trang provinces), has reached 41.55% of the total value. Specifically, component project 2 has achieved nearly 40.5%, component project 3 has reached 45.83%, and component project 4 is close to 39.5%. Overall, the progress is still considered slow compared to the set goals.

The most significant challenge impacting the project’s timeline is the shortage of sand for road foundation filling. The total sand requirement for component projects 2, 3, and 4 is estimated at over 21 million cubic meters, but only about 14 million cubic meters of sources have been identified so far, with approximately 5.6 million cubic meters extracted for the project. To address this issue, the investor has instructed contractors to increase manpower and machinery, operate in three shifts with four teams, and work on Saturdays and Sundays. Additionally, the units have petitioned the Prime Minister to allow contractors to be assigned mines through a special mechanism and requested support from Dong Thap and Vinh Long provinces to redirect sand sources from the Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway project to this project.

Amid these challenges, Component Project 3, spanning the former Hau Giang province, is implementing various solutions to meet its deadline of July 2026. With a length of approximately 37 kilometers and a total investment of over VND 9,600 billion, both main construction packages of this project are making notable progress.

In Package 1, the Truong Son 10 Management Board reported that the package has achieved over 48% of its production value, ensuring timely progress. While sand supply has been secured, the unit is currently facing a shortage of rocks and has requested the investor’s support in connecting with provinces to obtain a supply.

Regarding Package 2, the implementation progress since the start of the project has reached over 32%. Mr. Vu Dinh Tan, Deputy Director of Trung Nam E&C Construction Joint Stock Company, shared that despite initial challenges in sourcing sand, the contractor has now secured supply from three mines with a capacity of about 2.2 million cubic meters, meeting the package’s requirements. For rocks, the contractor has a supply contract for 245,000 cubic meters and is in the process of securing additional sources to fill the remaining gaps.

On the construction site of Component Project 3, one of the highlights noted by the contractor is the progress of the bridge construction. The contractors are simultaneously working on all 24 bridges along the route, aiming to complete them by the third quarter of 2025. One of the key structures is the 500-meter-long Xang Lai Hieu Bridge, with a total investment of approximately VND 160 billion. To ensure timely progress, the contractor installed beams from August 1 to 14, with 21 beams, each weighing 80 tons. This event demonstrates the contractor’s dedication to accelerating construction, overcoming material and rainy season challenges to complete the components as planned.

Mr. Le Minh Cuong, Director of the Can Tho City Management Board of Traffic and Agricultural Infrastructure Construction Projects, stated, “Currently, the progress of bridge construction along the route has met and exceeded the set goals. However, the progress of the route construction is behind schedule due to delays in sand supply to the construction site.”

With relentless efforts, the involved parties are collaborating to research and adjust design solutions and construction methods to shorten the timeline. The goal is to complete the project as per the Prime Minister’s directive, achieving technical completion by December 19, 2025, and full completion by July 2026.