With the project behind schedule, what commitments have the contractors made?

According to the investor of component 1 of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway project, the unit has reminded four contractors about the delay in construction. After March 20th, if the mobilization of equipment and personnel is not ensured, they will be warned and penalized according to the contract.

Many contractors lack equipment and personnel on the construction site.

According to Mr. Ngo The An, Director of the Dong Nai Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Projects, component 1 of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway project has only reached 22% of its planned output, lagging behind schedule. The reason for the delay is due to previous land acquisition issues.

In recent days, the local authorities have actively worked to expedite land clearance to hand over the site to the investor. Therefore, the Project Management Board has requested contractors to increase equipment and personnel to speed up construction and compensate for the previous delays. However, according to him, many contractors have been slow to mobilize resources, or even procrastinated, despite being reminded many times.

The Project Management Board has reminded and requested the four contractors to speed up construction on the section passing through Bien Hoa City, as more land is being handed over than before.

"The Project Management Board is reminding four contractors who are behind schedule: Construction Corporation No. 1 (CC1), Trung Nam Company, Hoa Binh 479 Company, and Hai Dang Company. We are urging the remaining contractors to implement the '3 shifts, 4 teams' approach, taking advantage of the dry season weather to make up for the delays. Any contractor who fails to rectify the situation by March 20th will be warned," Mr. An said.

Previously, the leaders of Dong Nai province, along with the Department of Construction and the Project Management Board, had conducted several surprise inspections of the construction site. Most recently, on March 4th, the inspection revealed that many contractors had not met the requirements regarding progress, and the number of equipment and personnel was still limited.

Authorities in Dong Nai province are increasing manpower to expedite land clearance and handover to the investor and construction contractor.

Component project 1 of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau expressway, the section from Km 0+000 to Km 16+000, is divided into package 18 (through Bien Hoa City, over 6km long) and package 21 (through Long Thanh district, approximately 10km long).

In package number 21, Lizen Joint Stock Company has the best progress, having paved approximately 2km with asphalt, and some sections are currently being reinforced with cement concrete. Following that, Construction and Installation Joint Stock Company 368 is still constructing 3 main bridges and 1 overpass, basically meeting the requirements.

The section of the route being constructed by Truong Son Company has sufficient machinery and equipment to meet the requirements, but the relevant authorities have requested additional equipment to speed up the progress.

At the time of inspection, for package number 18, Truong Son Construction Corporation had all the necessary machinery and personnel as specified in the bidding documents. However, to ensure completion before December 31st, the investor requested additional equipment and manpower. The company committed to completing the project on schedule if the site is fully provided in March 2025.

Construction, Services & Trading Joint Stock Company 68 has completed the K95 embankment work and has 4 excavators, 2 bulldozers, 1 grader, 9 rollers, and 10 dump trucks at the time of inspection. The inspection team requested the addition of at least 15 more rollers to strengthen the construction.

Hoa Binh 479 Joint Stock Company is constructing bridges on the main route, but at the time of inspection, it was noted that construction had not yet begun, and the site was devoid of machinery. Currently, the company has only set up a bridge girder casting yard at Km 5+069 with one excavator and 10 workers.

The Project Management Board has sent two documents to the contractor regarding the possibility of fulfilling the contract, recovering the advance payment, and reporting to the Department of Construction. According to the investor's report, their part of the work is behind schedule. At the time of the inspection, the representative of Hoa Binh 479 Joint Stock Company was absent from the construction site.

What did the contractors say, what did they promise?

The project leaders stated that the main reason for the delay was the insufficient handover of the construction site, making it difficult to implement the project on the ground.

Mr. Vo Cong Giang, Deputy General Director of Hoa Binh 479 Joint Stock Company, explained that the contractor's difficulty lies in the ongoing land acquisition issues at key locations, forcing them to work while waiting for land to be available.

"Many residents have not yet been relocated, and there are also high-voltage power lines obstructing the area. The unit has brought drilling equipment to the construction site and mobilized personnel, but we have only been able to lay some piles so far, not simultaneously. We are committed to accelerating construction once we have the land available," Mr. Giang said.

The section being constructed by CC1 Company was also reprimanded for not meeting the progress requirements, and the construction site lacked the "three shifts, four teams" atmosphere.

Similarly, Mr. Tran Van Pha, Director of the Construction Division of Construction Corporation No. 1 (CC1), said that currently, many locations requiring pile drilling to treat weak soil foundations are still facing land acquisition issues, making it impossible to mobilize equipment for simultaneous construction.

A representative from Hai Dang Joint Stock Company also informed that, within the 1.3km area where the construction unit is working, there are still more than 100 households that have not yet handed over the land.

Although Lizen is a company with a good construction pace, a representative also stated that they are facing land acquisition issues, which are preventing them from accelerating construction. If the land is handed over in March, they will complete their work by June.

Land clearance work in Dong Nai is being accelerated to speed up construction and compensate for the slow progress.

Besides the lack of available land, contractors also reported a shortage of fill material, hindering construction. Some units, such as Trung Nam Construction and Installation Joint Stock Company, mobilized construction equipment and concentrated it at Km 5+700, but still lacked sufficient soil despite searching for various sources.

"This week we will have land available, and we are bringing in more motorbikes for construction. We are trying to complete the main work after the dry season. In addition, the contractor also hopes to receive support with leveling stones soon because the allocation of stones is still limited and difficult to meet the needs at this stage," Mr. Tran Van Pha requested.

According to our reporter's observations, over 83% of the land for the expressway through Bien Hoa City has been handed over, and over 93% for the section through Long Thanh District. Nearly 400 households in Bien Hoa still remain to be relocated, while only over 100 households remain in Long Thanh District. Compared to about a month ago, the amount of land cleared and handed over to the investor has increased significantly.

The Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway is approximately 53.7km long. Of this, the section through Dong Nai province is about 34.2km; and the section through Ba Ria - Vung Tau province is nearly 20km. Currently, components 1 and 2 through Dong Nai have only reached over 20% completion and are still facing difficulties with land acquisition and embankment. The section through Ba Ria - Vung Tau, however, is over 74% complete.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/cao-toc-qua-dong-nai-bi-cham-tien-do-cac-nha-thau-cam-ket-gi-192250317105417346.htm