Why is the construction progress of National Highway 28B project slow?

The project to improve and upgrade National Highway 28B connecting the “forest to the sea” in Lam Dong has not met the progress requirements. The contractor has not arranged enough human resources and equipment, causing the progress to be slow and the quality of the project to be at risk.

Comrade Vo Ngoc Hiep repeatedly questioned the contractor about the workers and vehicles at the checkpoint.

During a recent field inspection of the National Highway 28B Improvement and Upgrade Project, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Ngoc Hiep could not hide his indignation when he saw that many sections of the route had a clear site but the contractor did not start construction. In particular, when the delegation stopped at the overpass, he saw the contractor arranging a limited number of workers and vehicles on the construction site. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Ngoc Hiep questioned the contractor, the site was already there, why did they not start construction? How can the progress be ensured with such a workforce and machinery?

The contractor representative replied that they are organizing the construction in a “rolling” manner. However, in reality, along the route under “rolling” construction, the roadbed, overpass, drainage culverts, etc. are still unfinished; machinery and workers are few and spread out.

According to the report of the provincial Department of Construction, by September 8, the route had deployed 41/68 km of crushed stone aggregate and 33/68 km of compacted asphalt concrete. However, at the sections that have been handed over by the locality, the construction progress has not yet met the requirements. The construction unit has not yet arranged enough machinery, equipment and human resources at the construction site.

This situation occurs at many locations. In particular, at 6 viaduct locations, the contractor has not yet deployed enough forces to ensure progress. The sections Km67+750–Km67+800 and Km68+080–Km68+117 have not yet deployed longitudinal ditches, causing delays in completing the road surface.

Compared to August 11, 2025, the volume of crushed stone aggregate increased by only 2 km, the volume of compacted asphalt concrete increased by 4 km; the construction of foundation, foundation, and drainage items is still slow. The overall progress of the project so far has not met the set requirements. In particular, the section Km67+750–Km67+800, although reminded by the Provincial People's Committee, has not yet started construction by Project Management Board 5.

The number of workers and machinery deployed at a construction site of an overpass was assessed by the working group as not being sufficient.

Regarding quality, according to the Department of Construction's assessment, some asphalt concrete road surfaces are damaged and peeling; sections where the crushed stone base layer has been constructed have been partially peeled off but have not been treated. Traffic safety work is neglected: the roadbed is uneven, with deep potholes; there is a lack of signs, barriers, warning lights and traffic control forces. These shortcomings not only affect the quality of the project, but also directly threaten the lives and property of traffic participants.

According to the assessment of the provincial Department of Construction, the contractor has not yet provided additional machinery, equipment and human resources to complete the construction. The spread out construction, combined with the stormy weather, not only affects the quality of the project but also increases the risk of traffic safety on the route.

Faced with the above situation, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Ngoc Hiep frankly admitted that compared to last month, there were some improvements, but the requirements were still not met. Currently, the contractor said that the work was "rolling" but in fact, there was a lack of vehicles and equipment, making the implementation slow.

The provincial leaders' viewpoint is very clear, it is impossible to let the situation of "having the site but not constructing", it is impossible to let the construction deal with the impact on the quality and progress of the project. The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested to review the progress of each contractor along the entire route, linked to quality and safety. In particular, during construction, there must be someone to regulate traffic, ensuring absolute safety for the people.

At the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee directed the units to urgently resolve problems in compensation and site clearance; complete the relocation of technical infrastructure in September; and force the contractor to mobilize maximum human resources and equipment to speed up progress. At the same time, it is necessary to develop a detailed construction plan for the entire remaining volume, ensuring the completion of the project in December 2025.

Without drastic and synchronous solutions, the National Highway 28B project, the vital route connecting Lam Dong's "forests and seas", is at risk of being behind schedule, greatly affecting economic development, trade of goods and people's travel needs.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/vi-sao-cham-tien-do-thi-cong-du-an-quoc-lo-28b-391339.html