Removing difficulties to basically complete 600 km of expressway in the Mekong Delta region by the end of 2025

The Government Office has just issued Notice No. 490/TB-VPCP dated October 26, 2024, concluding the conclusion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Conference on removing difficulties and obstacles to promote the development of transport infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region.

The goal is to complete 3,000 km of highways nationwide by 2025 (of which the Mekong Delta region strives to have about 600 km).

The conclusion announcement stated: Developing a synchronous and modern infrastructure system is one of the three strategic breakthroughs set forth by the 13th Party Congress; which determined the goal of having 5,000 km of expressways by 2030; therefore, the Prime Minister established the State Steering Committee for important national works and projects, key to the transport sector. The Steering Committee held 14 meetings; at the same time, the Prime Minister issued more than 400 documents directing, operating, and urging the implementation of expressway projects.

Particularly for the strategic transport infrastructure projects in the Mekong Delta, since the beginning of the term, the Prime Minister has directly worked with ministries, branches and localities in the region 6 times; inspected construction sites many times, urged, visited and encouraged cadres, workers and contractors, removed difficulties, accelerated construction progress, visited people in project areas, inspected resettlement work and stabilized people's lives; after 3 years, since starting to research and implement expressway projects in the Mekong Delta, many meetings have been held, many documents have been issued... initial results so far show that we have "turned nothing into something", "turned difficult into easy"; from ideas to the formation of specific projects, many sections and bridges have been completed... modern expressways are being clearly shaped, bringing great development prospects to the Mekong Delta.

With the strong direction of the central government and the determination of localities, the Mekong Delta region, from being considered a "lowland" of highways, has now changed very positively. The whole region has 120 km of highways put into operation, 428 km of highways are under construction and striving to basically complete by 2025; in addition, 215 km are being studied to prepare for investment, meeting the expectations of the people of the Mekong Delta in the early formation of a traffic infrastructure system connecting the region and the whole country; at the same time, opening up new development space, reducing logistics costs, input costs, increasing the competitiveness of goods, bringing benefits to localities...

The process of implementing projects in recent times shows that localities, contractors, and construction units have become more mature and stronger, initially mastering and implementing large-scale projects; have removed difficulties, resolved problems, and basically arranged sources of filling materials for projects in the Southern region with about 65 million ^m3 ; site clearance work has basically achieved progress with over 90% of the site handed over, many projects have been 100% completed; resettlement support and people's livelihood care have been focused on and well implemented by localities; security, order, and social safety in project areas have been ensured.

In addition to the basic results achieved, the implementation of projects still has shortcomings, limitations, difficulties and challenges: Management work in some localities when first assigned to manage large projects, high technical requirements, especially site clearance, ensuring materials for leveling and embankment... so we must make more efforts; some projects have not yet ensured the progress of material supply; the pilot use of sea sand still has some confusion; site clearance work of some projects has not met the progress requirements...

The goal is to complete 3,000 km of highways nationwide by 2025 (of which the Mekong Delta strives to have about 600 km) to welcome Party Congresses at all levels, towards the 14th National Party Congress, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the country, the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification; and most importantly, to contribute to creating new development space, new industrial parks, new urban areas, new service areas, new added value of land, creating jobs, income and better livelihoods for people in the area in particular and the people of the whole country in general.

Strive to basically complete 600 km of expressway in the Mekong Delta region by the end of 2025

With the large amount of work in the coming time of each project, it requires all levels, sectors and localities to be extremely urgent, proactive, flexible and creative in applying policies, mechanisms and strategies to implement projects; practically respond and effectively implement the emulation movement "500 peak days and nights to successfully complete expressway projects". Strive to achieve the goal of basically completing 600 km of expressway in the Mekong Delta by the end of 2025 and about 1,200 km by 2030.

Project implementation needs to be accelerated, more breakthrough, stronger, with higher political determination, more scientific and effective methods; ministries, branches and localities continue to focus on thoroughly grasping 3 consistent viewpoints: (i) Traffic and transportation must be smooth, go ahead and pave the way; (ii) "Only discuss doing, not discuss going back", ensuring projects are on schedule and ahead of schedule, improving quality, ensuring technical, aesthetic, safety, hygiene, environment, preventing negativity and waste; (iii) "Discuss to decide, not to leave it there", "once discussed, once decided, must be done", work must have specific products and results.

The Prime Minister requested relevant ministries, branches and localities to focus on directing the continued synchronous, drastic and effective implementation of tasks and solutions according to the Resolutions of the National Assembly, promoting and expanding the experience of implementing the 500kV transmission line project, circuit 3, Quang Trach (Quang Binh) - Pho Noi (Hung Yen), promptly removing difficulties and obstacles, not allowing a shortage of raw materials, if there are any problems, they must be resolved immediately, not allowing prolonged waste; promoting the self-reliance of enterprises, speeding up the completion of assigned tasks and work (including the Prime Minister's direction in Notice No. 335/TB-VPCP dated July 19, 2024), ensuring quality, efficiency and prescribed deadlines.

Urgently speed up site clearance progress

Regarding site clearance, the Prime Minister requested the People's Committees of the provinces and cities of Can Tho, Tien Giang, An Giang, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, and Soc Trang to urgently speed up site clearance and relocate high-voltage power systems to hand over the entire site for expressway projects in October 2024.

The People's Committees of Kien Giang and Bac Lieu provinces focus on resolving difficulties and obstacles, resolutely directing the acceleration of site clearance and relocation of technical infrastructure to basically complete and hand over the Ho Chi Minh Road Project, Rach Soi - Ben Nhat, Go Quao - Vinh Thuan sections in October 2024.

Can Tho City People's Committee speeds up site clearance at Lo Te intersection to hand over to Cao Lanh - Lo Te Project in October 2024.

The Ministry of Transport, together with the People's Committee of Vinh Long province and relevant units, urgently resolve the compensation and resettlement support for about 40 households affected by projects in the area, not allowing complaints to disrupt security and order in the area; to be completed in October 2024.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises continue to direct EVN to speed up the relocation of high-voltage power lines to hand over the site for projects in October 2024.

No shortage of sand, gravel, materials

Regarding construction materials, the Prime Minister requested the People's Committees of provinces with stone material sources (An Giang, Kien Giang, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau...) to continue to promote, resolutely support, and coordinate with investors (when requested) to prioritize stone supply for key projects, to avoid shortages of sand, gravel, common materials, and crushed stone aggregate sources.

The Chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces with sources of filling materials (Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, An Giang) apply all special mechanisms, policies and the most favorable mechanisms to solve the problem of sufficient material sources according to the assigned targets, as well as the commitments (regarding reserves, exploitation capacity), ensuring the completion of licensing procedures to exploit all mines in October 2024.

Localities strictly control construction material prices in the area to avoid speculation, price increases, and price pressure when demand for filling materials increases.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: Promptly guide localities on the permitted operating hours during the day for sand and gravel mining on riverbeds; proactively guide An Giang province to speed up licensing procedures for Antraco stone quarry, completing licensing in December 2024; promptly hand over the sea area to contractors of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway component 4 project; at the same time, continue to work with the Ministry of Transport to guide the People's Committees of localities and agencies and units to pilot the use of sea sand as filling material for a number of transport infrastructure projects according to the policies of the Party and the National Assembly.

Investors, project management boards, construction contractors, and supervision consultants must closely follow the work and proactively work with local People's Committees, departments, and branches to speed up the progress of resolving the supply of materials for roadbed leveling.

Closely control construction progress according to plan

Regarding construction work, the Prime Minister requested the competent authorities (Ministry of Transport and People's Committees of relevant provinces and cities) to resolutely direct investors and contractors to closely coordinate with localities with material mines to complete the procedures for granting mines, ensuring the source of sand and stone materials, not to affect the construction progress; develop a plan to gather stone materials to the construction site and send it to localities to be proactive in regulating and supplying; direct investors and contractors to base on the project completion plan, develop and issue a detailed "progress critical path" plan suitable for site clearance conditions, material sources, and weather developments to serve as a basis for monitoring, urging, and closely controlling the construction progress according to plan, especially projects planned to be completed by the end of 2025.

The investor and the project management board resolutely directed the contractors to increase human resources and equipment, add construction teams, arrange sufficient finance, organize construction in "3 shifts" to compensate for the progress as soon as the material mines were granted; strengthen quality management, ensure traffic safety, labor safety, environmental sanitation, and technical and aesthetic standards; speed up the acceptance procedures and payment for completed volume, absolutely not allowing negativity, waste, or loss of State assets and capital; resolutely handle contractors who are behind schedule; complete the disbursement of projects in accordance with the Prime Minister's direction.

The Ministry of Transport and the People's Committees of the provinces and cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hau Giang regularly update the progress of handling procedures for supplying materials for projects, immediately deploy field exploitation activities to bring to the construction site to support loading and settlement treatment and proactively source crushed stone aggregate materials.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/thao-go-kho-khan-de-het-nam-2025-co-ban-hoan-thanh-600-km-duong-cao-toc-vung-dbscl-d228434.html