Many key highways are at risk of missing the completion deadline by the end of this year.

According to the Ministry of Construction, a series of national expressway projects are being 'stalled', with many projects having difficulty reaching the finish line by the end of 2025 due to the large amount of work remaining, weather impacts, and insufficient human resources and machinery.

Contractor constructing asphalt pavement for the Eastern North-South Expressway Project. Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+

A series of key national highway projects are behind schedule and are at risk of not being completed by the end of this year as directed by the Government .

Many projects are behind schedule

According to the report of the Ministry of Construction , up to now, the whole country has 2,476km of expressway (an increase of 208km compared to the inauguration on April 19, 2025). The Ministry of Construction and localities are making efforts to implement the construction of the remaining 733km of 22 projects.

In which, the Ministry of Construction is the managing agency of 11 projects/component projects (including Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon-Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon-Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh-Van Phong, Can Tho- Hau Giang , Hau Giang-Ca Mau, Cao Lanh-Lo Te, Lo Te-Rach Soi, Component Project 2 Bien Hoa-Vung Tau, Hoa Lien-Tuy Loan, Ben Luc-Long Thanh) with a length of 444km; progress is closely following the plan to complete by the end of 2025.

Localities are the managing agencies of 11 projects/component projects with a length of 289km, the progress of 5/11 projects is closely following the set plan (Component projects 1 and 7 of Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3, Component project 3 Bien Hoa-Vung Tau, Component projects 1 and 3 Khanh Hoa-Buon Ma Thuot).

The remaining six projects with a length of about 158km are still behind schedule (Component Project 3 and 5 of Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 (Dong Nai 45%, old Binh Duong, now Ho Chi Minh City 44%); Dong Nai 49% at Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Project; section through old Tuyen Quang 44%, section through Ha Giang (now Tuyen Quang province) 70% at Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang Project; Dong Thap 66% at Cao Lanh-An Huu Project).

For the Huu Nghi-Chi Lang project (construction output value 37%) and Dong Dang-Tra Linh (output reaching 36%), it is expected to be open to traffic by the end of 2025, but the large remaining volume is at risk of not meeting the plan.

The Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang project has basically identified the source but the sand mining capacity is still limited. If we do not proactively supplement the supply source, increase the sand mining capacity, and combine it with adjusting technical solutions to shorten the waiting time for subsidence, there will be a potential risk of not completing the project according to the progress milestone required by the Prime Minister (Component project 1 in 2025, the remaining component projects on April 30, 2026).

The Can Tho-Hau Giang and Hau Giang-Ca Mau projects will simultaneously construct road surface foundations in October and November, coinciding with the rainy season. Solutions must be found to fully mobilize machinery, equipment, human resources, and materials to organize construction, ensuring completion by 2025.

The An Huu-Cao Lanh project through Dong Thap has reached 66.1% output, however the loading time is expected to last until the end of 2025, so it is unlikely to be completed in 2025.

Contractor of the Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway Project. Photo: PV/Vietnam+

Some projects planned to be completed in 2025 by local authorities have a large remaining volume (Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 includes: Component Project 3 through Dong Nai reaching 45.2%, Component Project 5 through old Binh Duong reaching 44.3%, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway through Dong Nai reaching 48.9%, Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang section through Tuyen Quang reaching 43.53%) while it is the rainy season, affecting the implementation of construction, potentially risking not being completed on schedule, affecting the plan to complete 3,000km of expressway.

Some new projects started construction in the first 6 months of 2025 such as Ho Chi Minh City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh, Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh Component Project 2 and 3, Ninh Binh-Hai Phong but implementation was slow, the construction volume was only focused on site clearance, building camps, service roads and completing construction drawings.

How to speed up the progress?

To implement projects as planned, the Ministry of Construction recommends that the Prime Minister direct ministries and local branches to continue reviewing the organizational structure, especially the agencies and units assigned to carry out site clearance work, which affects the progress of construction and disbursement of projects.

The ministries and localities assigned as competent authorities shall continue to direct investors and contractors to develop reasonable and scientific construction plans; increase human resources, machinery and equipment; overcome adverse weather conditions during the rainy season to speed up construction progress; promptly conduct acceptance and payment to ensure completion of public investment disbursement according to the set plan, especially in the last months of 2025.

In particular, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Dong Nai, Tuyen Quang, and Dong Thap need to be resolute in implementation, proactively remove difficulties, apply technical solutions to shorten construction time to ensure completion in 2025 as required by the Prime Minister, especially Ho Chi Minh City needs to promote its leading role in infrastructure construction, focus on direction and operation to be determined to complete the Ring Road 3 Project in 2025, as well as speed up the implementation progress of the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai and Ho Chi Minh City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh projects.

Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces, Can Tho City and An Giang reviewed the progress, directed investors and contractors to proactively remove difficulties and obstacles, supplement human resources and equipment, and work in "3 shifts" to speed up the construction progress and ensure completion according to the Prime Minister's direction.

The contractor is actively constructing the overpass. Photo: PV/Vietnam+

Can Tho City, An Giang, Dong Thap review material needs, flexibly transfer to meet the progress of implementation to serve the construction of Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang and Cao Lanh-An Huu projects.

In addition, the Ministry of Construction will continue to direct investors and contractors to organize construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams" to speed up the construction progress of the remaining component projects of the North-South Expressway in the 2021-2025 period, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Component 2 Project, ensuring completion in 2025; urge investors to resolutely implement the Dau Giay-Tan Phu Project right from the first phase; speed up the construction progress of Cho Moi-Bac Kan Project, Ho Chi Minh Road and Khanh Hoa-Buon Ma Thuot Component 2 Project.

The Ministry of Construction recommends that the Ministry of Finance promptly report and evaluate the implementation of Resolution No. 106/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on special mechanisms in the exploitation of minerals for common construction materials, to be completed in September 2025; review resources to advise competent authorities to balance capital for expressway projects, meeting the goal of completing 5,000km by 2030...

PV (synthesis)

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nhieu-cao-toc-trong-diem-co-nguy-co-tre-hen-hoan-thanh-vao-cuoi-nam-nay-520543.html