Still unfinished after many extensions

Despite being extended several times, the project to upgrade National Highway 7 (QL7) with a length of nearly 28km has not yet been completed. The construction site is still unfinished, and many sections have not yet been handed over.

National Highway 7, with an investment of more than VND1,300 billion, passing through three districts of Nghe An province, has yet to be completed after many extensions. Photo: Dien Bac.

On March 18, 2022, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued Decision No. 333 approving the National Highway 7 Upgrade Project, 27.5km long, passing through 3 districts of Dien Chau, Yen Thanh and Do Luong (Nghe An). The total investment of the project is more than 1,300 billion VND, divided into 3 construction packages, with a total value of 778.724 billion VND. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2024, with the section from Km0 - Km5 (Dien Chau intersection to the expressway interchange) to be completed in 2023.

However, the extension period has expired but the project still cannot be completed, there are many reasons why the packages have not been completed. The reason for the delay is mainly due to land clearance problems on the route. Households whose land is affected by the project do not accept the plan, compensation value, support, and site clearance compensation. Some households have not completed their documents, some households have disputes and filed lawsuits.

Specifically, by the end of November, the new land area had been handed over for 53.927km/55.402km (97.34%) including both left and right of the route. Currently, there are still 1.475km (including both left and right of the route) and 105 plots of land are affected (46 plots on the left of the route, 59 plots on the right of the route). Specifically, Dien Chau district still has 657m in the communes of Dien Thanh, Dien Phuc, Dien Cat and Minh Chau (affecting 57 plots of land); Yen Thanh district still has 818m in the communes of Vien Thanh, Bao Thanh, Cong Thanh and My Thanh (affecting 48 plots of land). Do Luong district alone still has 102m in the sidewalk category in Luu Son commune.

In fact, at the project in early December 2024, the QL7 upgrade project still had many unfinished sections, mostly because the site had not been handed over for construction. Although some sections had been handed over, they were only short sections, not enough space for the construction unit to implement the project.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Long (residing in Vien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) said: The project's slow progress has greatly affected traffic and the lives of households along the route. Not only that, the prolonged construction causes environmental pollution and poses many potential risks of traffic accidents.

Regarding the delay in progress due to land clearance problems, Mr. Vu Tuan Dung - Chairman of Yen Thanh District People's Committee said: Currently, there are still 48 plots of land of 42 households affected by the National Highway 7 upgrade project that have not yet approved the land clearance plan due to many different reasons. In the past, the local government has actively mobilized, propagated, and organized dialogues. However, many households still do not agree with the land clearance plan for the construction unit to implement the project. The District People's Committee has developed a plan to protect the construction to continue implementing the project.

Faced with the current situation of the project being behind schedule due to land acquisition issues, on November 29, 2024, Project Management Board (PMU) 4 sent report No. 2879 to the Vietnam Road Administration and proposed and reported to the Ministry of Transport and the People's Committee of Nghe An province to direct the People's Committees of Dien Chau and Yen Thanh districts to focus on propagating and mobilizing people to comply with compensation, support and resettlement policies according to State regulations. Urgently complete documents and procedures to promptly hand over the site to the construction contractor. At the same time, request the locality to organize construction protection in December 2024 for households that are not eligible for compensation; households that illegally build works on road clearance land; households that have been dialogued and propagandized by the locality but do not comply.

According to information from Project Management Board 4 (Ministry of Transport), the National Highway 7 upgrade project has not been completed as planned. There are still many sections on the route that have not been handed over to the construction unit by the local authorities to implement the project. The continued delay in site clearance has resulted in the project not being completed on schedule, greatly affecting traffic safety and environmental sanitation on the operating National Highway 7 and the investment goals and efficiency, especially the section from the junction of National Highway 7 with the expressway to National Highway 1.

It is known that Project Management Board 4 is currently submitting to the Vietnam Road Administration and the Ministry of Transport to adjust the project implementation time to 2025. Regarding the construction progress of the project's packages, the Ministry of Transport has temporarily extended it to the end of December 2024. The investor will continue to request an extension of the completion progress of the packages from April to July 2025 after adjusting the project progress.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/du-an-nang-cap-quoc-lo-7-van-dang-do-sau-nhieu-lan-gia-han-10296419.html