Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà Outlines Three Key Requirements While Inspecting the North-South Expressway Project in the East

Simplify procedures, reduce paperwork, speed up progress, but do not overlook safety and quality in both construction and material extraction, said the Deputy PM.  

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà inspected and listened to reports from the project’s investor (Project Management Unit 7, Ministry of Transport) and contractors about construction progress and material supply along the Vân Phong-Nha Trang section (Khánh Hòa province).

Ensure Smooth Land Handover Without Disruptions  

Speaking at the construction site, the Deputy PM urged close collaboration among the investor, contractors, and local authorities to resolve difficulties and accelerate progress. He stressed building a strong, secure project that contributes to local socio-economic development and wins the public’s trust.

Khánh Hòa province, in particular, needs to focus on completing land clearance for each section, avoiding a patchwork handover, and prioritize shortening the time for granting permits to contractors to extract materials. This ensures adequate supply of soil, sand, and stone while balancing the interests of businesses and mining operators. The province also needs to coordinate the relocation of infrastructure, including high-voltage power lines, within the expressway's construction area.

The Deputy PM also asked the Ministry of Transport to direct contractors to review technical and construction plans to prevent landslides, subsidence, flooding, and environmental impacts, especially in areas where geotechnical and hydrological assessments have not yet been fully conducted.  

"Although we are streamlining procedures for material extraction to speed up the construction of the expressway, we must still fully assess environmental impacts to prevent disruptions to the local population's lives," emphasized the Deputy PM.

Praise for Khánh Hòa’s Resettlement Initiatives 

The Deputy PM praised Khánh Hòa province for its proactive and creative approach in establishing resettlement areas integrated with existing communities. This helps quickly stabilize the lives of households affected by land clearance. He also commended the province’s decisive efforts to resolve permit procedures for new material mines, supporting the contractors in building the expressway.

During the follow-up meeting, the Deputy PM urged local leaders to raise specific difficulties and obstacles in implementing the project. He encouraged long-term solutions to address issues and improve the legal framework for future projects.

Ensure Sufficient Materials for Construction

 The Ministry of Transport reported that the North-South Expressway (Eastern section, 2021-2025 phase) running through Quảng Ngãi to Khánh Hòa involves five component projects with 12 construction packages, spanning 351.2 km with a total investment of 70.255 trillion VND.  

Contractors have mobilized 2,742 pieces of machinery, 6,271 workers, 152 supervision consultants, and launched 210 construction teams (96 for bridges, 114 for roads, underpasses, and other structures). So far, around 2.8574 trillion VND has been disbursed, equivalent to 5.8% of the contract value, falling short of the target by about 2.3%.  

Material needs, including stone, sand, and soil, are largely being met, thanks to close cooperation between local authorities and contractors in expanding existing mines and granting permits for new ones.

Vice Chairman of Quảng Ngãi Provincial People's Committee, Trần Phước Hiền, urged contractors to focus on material extraction in selected areas, minimizing the impact on the environment and the lives and daily activities of local residents.
(Photo: VGP/Minh Khôi)

Local authorities have handed over 310 out of 351.2 km of land, reaching 89% completion (a 2.4% increase from the previous month). However, only 273.28 km (80%) is under construction. The remaining land includes residential areas with complex relocation procedures and technical infrastructure requiring coordination with multiple agencies.  
Provinces have completed 47 resettlement areas, with another 34 under planning or construction.

Regarding the relocation of technical infrastructure, for 220-500 kV power lines, procedures have been completed for 93 out of 104 positions, and work is underway at 52 locations. For 110 kV and medium-low voltage lines, procedures have been completed for 883 out of 909 positions, with 150 already relocated and 106 under construction. The remaining positions are in the final stages of procedural completion.

Urgency in Relocating High-Voltage Power Lines  

Concluding the meeting, the Deputy PM praised the efforts and determination of the provincial authorities in overcoming difficulties and meeting requirements for land clearance and material supply for the construction packages.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà noted that delays in relocating high-voltage power lines would significantly affect the construction progress of the North-South Expressway (Eastern section). The Ministry of Transport must monitor and regularly report progress to the Prime Minister.

The Deputy PM also stressed flexibility in the resettlement process, allowing local residents to benefit from the project. He urged close cooperation between investors, contractors, and local authorities to address arising issues promptly and ensure security and order on the construction sites.

Accelerating Progress While Ensuring Safety and Quality

Reiterating the need to ensure progress, safety, and quality, the Deputy PM called on contractors, design consultants, and technical supervisors to take full responsibility from design to construction. Material extraction must be scientific and well-organized, with thorough environmental, geotechnical, and hydrological assessments.

He emphasized the importance of reducing procedures and speeding up progress without compromising safety and quality. Material extraction should not be rushed for profit maximization, but conducted responsibly, considering environmental sustainability. Where there is a risk of accidents due to incomplete data, the project should pause to mitigate issues before they worsen.

The Deputy PM agreed with the proposal to expand the capacity of existing material mines but emphasized strict environmental monitoring. He instructed authorities to arrange storage sites for excess materials during expressway construction. Ministries must also evaluate the environmental impact of river and lake sand mining and explore the potential of marine sand for road construction.

Finally, the Deputy PM tasked ministries and contractors with studying and proposing updates to technical-economic standards for expressway construction, and the Ministry of Transport with quickly issuing regulations for rest stations across the North-South Expressway to align with future traffic trends.

Minh Khôi