While the massive cranes in Thu Duc City are rushing to install the
elevated bridge, on the opposite side of Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring
Road 3 – which passes through Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, and Binh Chanh
districts – many construction sites are almost at a standstill
due to a lack of fill material.

The western section of Ring Road 3 is at risk of missing its
“golden opportunity” due to a lack of fill material.
In the outlying districts, one can easily spot vast expanses of
land with stakes and construction signs, but the work atmosphere
is quiet. Some sections have been opened, but the construction
of the road foundation and infrastructure is still unclear.
Unlike the bustling atmosphere in Thu Duc City – which aims to
complete and open to traffic five elevated bridge packages
before December 31, 2025 – the western section is lagging behind
due to a seemingly simple factor: sand.
According to data from the Ho Chi Minh City Management Board of
Investment and Construction of Traffic Projects (Board of
Traffic), the entire route through the city still lacks about
3.75 million cubic meters of sand. Among them, packages XL8
and XL10 are the biggest bottlenecks, with only over 20% of
the workload completed, making them the slowest packages in
the entire project.
A closer look at the construction site of the western
section of Ring Road 3 – CLIP: NGOC QUY
Mr. Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the Board of Traffic, said
that the average progress of the western packages is only
35-37%. While the bridge construction is on schedule, the
road construction is seriously delayed.
“There isn’t enough sand coming in. In the previous months,
we only received about 40-50% of the required amount, and it
was only in April that the supply started to increase
slightly. The contractors are not being aggressive enough, and
many units are still waiting for the allocated supply instead
of proactively purchasing from external sources despite the
higher cost,” said Mr. Phuc. He also added that the current
sand extraction rate in the Mekong Delta is also very slow.
As of mid-May, only 1.5 million cubic meters of sand have been
supplied to the western packages, which is less than half of
the actual need. Meanwhile, from May to August is considered
the “golden time” for road foundation construction, requiring
a minimum of 500,000 cubic meters per month to meet the
schedule.
“We commit to making our best efforts and redoubling our
determination compared to before to complete the project on
time. But to do that, we need the materials to arrive on
time,” emphasized Mr. Phuc.
Special Task Force Established to Oversee Ring Road 3
Project
Ho Chi Minh City Chairman Nguyen Van Got instructed the
Board of Traffic and related departments to urgently
address issues in sand transportation for the Ring Road 3
construction, especially for the western packages that are
delayed due to material shortages.
Mr. Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the Board of Traffic,
stated that there is sufficient sand reserves, but the
progress is slow because the contractors are not proactive,
the purchase price is high, and transportation through
multiple checkpoints is challenging. The representative of
Truong Son Corporation proposed that the city provide
identification logos to create a “green channel” for sand
barges and support procedures to ensure progress.
Chairman Nguyen Van Got requested the Department of
Construction to establish a special task force to monitor
the construction progress and material supply, reporting
weekly to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. The
Board of Traffic must report specific reasons for delays
and coordinate with the police and border guard to resolve
issues in transportation.
Mr. Nguyen Van Got emphasized the need to be more
determined and not use the lack of sand as an excuse for
delays. He also suggested rewarding contractors who
perform well and strictly handling those who fail to meet
the progress requirements.
A Closer Look at the Construction Site of the Western Section of
Ring Road 3:

The grand construction site of Ring Road 3, at the
intersection with the Ho Chi Minh City – Moc Bai Highway

According to data from the Ho Chi Minh City Management Board
of Investment and Construction of Traffic Projects, the
entire route through the city still lacks about 3.75
million cubic meters of sand.

Mr. Luong Minh Phuc, Director of the Board of Traffic,
shared that the average progress of the western packages is
only around 35-37%.


As of mid-May, only 1.5 million cubic meters of sand have
been supplied to the western packages, which is less than
half of the actual need.

The intersection of Ring Road 3 and the Ho Chi Minh City –
Moc Bai Highway in Tan Thanh Dong commune, Cu Chi district
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