Sprint on major highway construction sites

A new spirit and new momentum are emerging at most construction sites in the competition towards the goal of completing 3,000 km of highways by the end of 2025.

Construction of Dong Dang – Tra Linh Expressway Project

Promised and kept

“We are closely following the target of temporarily putting into operation 68.54 km of the section from Van Gia intersection to National Highway 27C intersection, the North-South Expressway Eastern Component Project, Van Phong - Nha Trang section to serve the people during the Lunar New Year 2025,” said a representative of Son Hai Group.

Son Hai is one of the three contractors of the Van Phong - Nha Trang Component Project that has just sent a document requesting the Ministry of Transport to allow early traffic opening of 68.54/83.35 km of the entire route on January 10, 2025.

The Van Phong – Nha Trang component project is one of 12 component projects of the North – South Expressway Construction Investment Project, Eastern phase 2021 – 2025. The project is located entirely in Khanh Hoa province, including 2 construction packages, starting on January 1, 2023.

Mr. Tran Dinh Tuyen, Deputy Director of Project Management Board 7 (the unit assigned by the Ministry of Transport as the investor) said that according to the original contract, it must be completed by November 31, 2025.

However, fulfilling the promise made to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his inspection trip to inspect the implementation of some North-South Expressway component projects in the East, phase 2021 - 2025 (April 29, 2024), contractors have increased machinery and equipment, working in 3 shifts and 4 teams with the goal of completing the project before April 30, 2025, shortening nearly 7 months compared to the contract.

“If the contractors put 68.54 km into operation on January 10, 2025, they will once again break their own progress milestone, shortening the total construction time by nearly 1 year,” said the investor representative.

This is not an easy goal, because currently Khanh Hoa province is at the peak of the rainy season (from October until now, it rains on average about 10-18 days/month, especially in December there were 13/19 consecutive rainy days).

The construction of the remaining items is difficult, especially the construction of asphalt concrete pavement and road markings which depend on the completion of the asphalt pavement (which may affect the quality when construction encounters unusual rain).

“This is a race for the honor of Vietnam’s leading contractors, so the construction units are continuing to mobilize more machinery and human resources; rearranging the production line to complete the entire remaining workload in the next 10 days as committed. We want to prove that, with determination and support from state management agencies, Vietnamese contractors can create many miracles,” said a representative of Son Hai.

According to the assessment of the Ministry of Transport, if this "crossing the gate" is completed, it will be a great source of encouragement and motivation for other construction units that are also participating in the "500-day and night peak competition to complete 3,000 km of highways" launched by the head of the Government himself on August 18, 2024.

It is known that according to the expected plan, in 2025, the Ministry of Transport will complete 1,188 km of expressway, including 28 projects/component projects, of which 16 projects are managed by the Ministry of Transport, 12 projects are managed by localities.

Up to this point, when the 500-day and night peak competition has passed 1/4 of the way, there are about 14 component projects with a total length of 771 km being implemented to meet the completion plan in 2025, in which some component projects can be completed before December 31, 2025.

At the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon Component Project, one of the projects with the most complex geological foundation in the North - South Eastern Expressway Construction Project, phase 2021 - 2025, the contractor consortium led by Deo Ca Group has committed to completing Package XL1 (Km0 - Km30) by June 30, 2025, 6 months ahead of schedule; completing Package XL2 (Km30 - Km57+200) by August 30, 2025, 4 months ahead of schedule.

Particularly, Package XL3 Km57+200 – Km88 with the critical path being the 3,200 m long road tunnel No. 3, despite facing huge geological challenges, will be completed on December 31, 2025.

The rapid construction momentum is not only taking place at the North-South Expressway component projects, the accelerated construction pace has spread to most other key expressway construction projects invested by the Ministry of Transport and localities.

At Component Project 3, Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot Expressway, Son Hai Group is focusing on maximum equipment and human resources to complete 3 - 6 months ahead of schedule for the work items signed with the investor.

Son Hai Group also committed to completing 52 km of Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway in 2025, 12 months ahead of schedule, determined to set a new record in progress, and committed to being the leading enterprise in construction quality.

“We have seen the image of the Prime Minister attached to the highway through inspection trips and on-site instructions, mostly on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. That image has inspired contractors and workers to be more determined to complete their assigned tasks,” said Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai, Chairman of Son Hai Group.

Progress goes hand in hand with quality

Among the group of expressway projects scheduled to be completed in 2026, there have been projects that can have their construction schedule shortened to be completed in 2025.

At the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway PPP Project and the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang Expressway PPP Project, after receiving the Prime Minister's order to complete these two projects by December 31, 2025, 12 months shorter than the signed contract, Deo Ca Group deployed the most combat-ready units and the most modern machinery to the construction site to organize construction 24/7.

Accordingly, with the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway PPP Project, the project enterprise and contractors mobilized 1,132 personnel, 398 pieces of machinery and equipment and deployed 32 construction teams simultaneously 24/7, aiming to open the route in 2025. By December 7, 2024, the nearly 500 m long Dong Khe tunnel was officially dug, 2 months ahead of schedule.

“This year, at these two northern mountainous expressway construction sites, the Group will organize construction throughout the holidays and Tet. We look forward to welcoming the Prime Minister to encourage the workers in the first days of the New Year,” said Mr. Ho Minh Hoang, Chairman of Deo Ca Group.

It is known that not only Dong Dang – Tra Linh; Huu Nghi – Chi Lang expressways, during the Tet At Ty, there will be many construction sites working through Tet. Contractor leaders and workers will welcome the New Year at the construction site.

According to the Department of Construction Investment Management (Ministry of Transport), in addition to projects that are likely to be completed, or even ahead of schedule, there are still 8 projects/281 km (Ministry of Transport 3 projects/123 km; localities 5 projects/158 km) that need to focus on resolving difficulties in site clearance, construction material sources, and organizing 3-shift, 4-team construction to be able to finish on schedule.

In the Mekong Delta region, where 5 key transport projects and the Ring Road 3 Project in Ho Chi Minh City are being implemented, meeting the total demand for sand filling materials of about 65.3 million m3 is a major bottleneck, affecting the ability to complete according to the set plan.

Although localities have mobilized all mines in the area to supply projects according to assigned targets, licensing procedures are still slow and mining capacity has not yet met the required progress of the projects.

“To ensure capacity to meet the construction progress of projects, mobilizing maximum sand resources from mines in the region (including sea sand) as well as sand resources available on the market is an extremely urgent requirement,” said Mr. Nguyen Duy Lam, Deputy Minister of Transport.

Meanwhile, with the interconnected nature of expressway projects, if component projects are not completed on schedule, especially the Eastern North-South Expressway, the investment efficiency will not be fully promoted.

“The most desirable thing is that no province with a project included in the plan to complete 3,000 km of expressway before the Party Congress fails to complete it. The entire 3,000 km of highway from North to South being blocked at one point is unacceptable. However, we also need to avoid being impatient. Progress must go hand in hand with quality. Inspection and supervision work must be done correctly and strictly, and supervision consultants must maximize their role and responsibility, and absolutely must not make any mistakes,” emphasized Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate in organizing the preliminary summary of the emulation movement "500 days and nights of emulation to complete 3,000 km of expressway" in January 2025; including commending and encouraging exemplary localities, agencies, units, projects, cadres and workers who have performed well, overcome difficulties, achieved and exceeded the set plan; reprimanding, criticizing and disciplining localities, agencies, units and individuals who are irresponsible and slow down progress.

Evaluate and review the progress "gantt" of each specific project and have timely solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in project implementation to be determined to complete the emulation movement's goals before December 31, 2025.

(Excerpt from Notice No. 564/TB-VPCP dated December 19, 2024).

Source: https://baodautu.vn/buoc-nuoc-rut-tren-cac-dai-cong-truong-cao-toc-d237317.html