The Periphery Project’s One-Year Delay: Still a Mixed Bag

6/7 Districts Yet to Complete Land Clearance

The Management Board of Investment and Construction of Transport Projects in Hanoi (Transportation Construction – Investor) has recently reported to the City’s Party Committee on the progress of the Ring Road 4 Project.

Regarding land clearance (Component Project 1.1), the Transportation Construction Board stated that the Ring Road 4 Project spans 52.7 km in Hanoi. To secure the construction site, the City People’s Committee assigned the task of land clearance to the seven districts through which the road passes, with a deadline of December 31, 2023.

As of December 2024, the investor has received 776.82/786.2 ha of land, equivalent to 48.35/52.73 km of the project, achieving 91.7% completion. However, the Transportation Construction Board pointed out that there are still many discontinuous and scattered sections along the entire construction route.

According to Tien Phong’s investigation, among the seven districts through which the project passes, including Soc Son, Me Linh, Dan Phuong, Hoai Duc, Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin, and Ha Dong, only Soc Son District has completed 100% of the land clearance work as of Q4/2024. The remaining districts have yet to finish, and the project route still includes fields and gardens within the scope of the project, hindering contractors from mobilizing machinery for construction.

In Ha Dong District and Hoai Duc District, the project site even involves residential land and buildings that have not been relocated, impacting the overall progress of the project and the construction of the parallel road packages, which are scheduled for completion in 2025.

Facing this situation, the Hanoi Department of Transport (the state management agency in the industry) stated that they had proposed to the City People’s Committee to adjust the time for land clearance to the end of Q2/2025, with the completion of land clearance and the relocation of technical infrastructure in Q1/2025.

Nevertheless, the investor emphasized that to ensure the project schedule and finish the parallel roads by the end of 2025, land clearance must be completed by December 31, 2024, with challenging cases resolved before the Lunar New Year holiday.

Hanoi Party Secretary Requests Land Clearance Completion Before Lunar New Year

During a meeting on December 12 to review the progress and construction of the Ring Road 4 Project, Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hoai, Hanoi Party Secretary and Head of the Steering Committee for the Ring Road 4 – Capital Region Project, noted that during the project’s implementation, local authorities, specialized agencies, and units should recognize its significance as a key national project. It plays a substantial role in reducing traffic congestion and urban development in Hanoi and neighboring localities. Therefore, it is crucial to concentrate all efforts on accelerating the project’s progress.

Regarding land clearance, she emphasized the need for solutions to ensure stable livelihoods for affected residents and maximize policies that benefit them. Additionally, to address challenges and obstacles, agencies, units, and localities must promptly report and propose solutions to the Steering Committee to ensure the project stays on track without delays.

Concluding the meeting, the Hanoi Party Secretary requested that agencies, units, departments, and districts unite their efforts and collaborate with relevant ministries and sectors to consult on mechanisms and policies. They should strive to complete land clearance before the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake, 2025, setting the foundation for completing the parallel roads before the City Party Congress. This will also enable the investor to achieve the goal of commencing Component Project 3 (expressway) in Q2/2025.

The Ring Road 4 – Capital Region Hanoi Project has a total length of 112.8 km, passing through three provinces and cities: Hanoi (57.95 km), Hung Yen (19.31 km), and Bac Ninh (36.26 km). With a total investment of over VND 85,813 billion, the project comprises seven component projects, including the Ring Road 4 expressway, which will be invested in under the PPP model with an investment of VND 56,500 billion. The project commenced on June 25, 2023, with an approved completion schedule in 2026 and operation starting in 2027.

At the project’s groundbreaking ceremony, Mr. Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, shared that thanks to proactive efforts, 80% of the land had been cleared by the time of the groundbreaking ceremony. This achievement is unprecedented, as Hanoi proactively and vigorously carried out land clearance for the project even before its official commencement.

Regarding the remaining 20% of the land, the Hanoi People’s Committee assigned the task to the districts through which the project passes, setting a deadline of December 31, 2023, for the completion and handover of the cleared land.