Expedite the construction progress of the Thung Mon - Dong Lau road.
Provincial Road 534D (Thung Mon - Dong Lau section) plays a crucial role in connecting trade, serving production, and supporting the daily lives of the people. However, prolonged construction and many unfinished items are turning this road into an infrastructure "bottleneck," directly affecting the socio-economic development goals of the locality.
Construction is proceeding at a slow pace.
In early January, a visit to Tien Dong commune reveals a familiar sight along provincial road 534D: dusty dirt roads and unfinished construction sites. Many sections of the route have been excavated but remain incomplete, causing immense difficulties for residents, especially during prolonged periods of rain and humidity.
More worryingly, the two key bridges on the route, Khe Da Bridge and Khe Cum Bridge, have yet to be opened to traffic. People are forced to use temporary routes, posing a potential traffic safety risk, especially for children going to school.
Provincial Road 534D holds special significance for Tien Dong commune – a mountainous area where transportation plays a crucial role in paving the way for economic development. This road not only serves the daily commuting needs of the people but also acts as a vital artery for transporting agricultural and forestry products, connecting Tien Dong with neighboring communes and the district center.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Dong commune, the commune has several main transportation routes, among which Provincial Road 534D, the Dong Lau - Thung Mon section, plays a particularly important role. However, currently, most of the route is still unpaved, narrow, and severely degraded. "Poor roads not only make travel difficult but also directly affect the socio-economic development of the locality. Therefore, people's agricultural products face difficulties in sales, and transportation costs increase," Mr. Thang shared.
According to our findings, prior to July 2025, the upgrade project for Provincial Road 534D was under the investment of the People's Committee of Tan Ky District (formerly). However, during implementation, the project was left unfinished and had to be temporarily suspended due to the policy of abolishing the district level, merging administrative units, and transitioning to a two-tiered local government model. After July 1, 2025, the project was transferred to the Department of Construction as the investor to continue the next steps. Separately, the Khe Da bridge project on the same route, under the investment of the People's Committee of Tien Dong Commune, has also been halted for several months.
Changes in the project's investor, along with the process of reviewing and handing over documents and procedures, are considered one of the reasons why the project's progress has been disrupted and delayed compared to the original plan.
According to our findings, the Dong Lau – Thung Mon route, over 4 km long, was approved for investment by the Provincial People's Committee on December 18, 2023, as part of the project "Renovation and upgrading of the road system and infrastructure on the routes: Lat - Lang Rao; Huong Son - Phu Son; Dong Lau - Thung Mon". The project has a total investment of VND 108.5 billion, using medium-term capital, divided into two phases: 2021-2025 and 2026-2030. Of this, the provincial budget allocated VND 80 billion, and the district budget allocated VND 28.5 billion. However, as of July 2025, only VND 40 billion had been allocated to the project according to the medium-term plan for the 2021-2025 period.
Besides funding difficulties, weather conditions have also significantly impacted construction progress. From the end of July 2025 to October, the western region of Nghe An province was continuously affected by heavy rains and prolonged flooding, forcing contractors to temporarily halt or slow down construction. It is understood that by the end of 2025, when the province allocates additional funds... With the capital invested, the contractor resumed construction for a short period, laying asphalt on a section of the Thung Mon - Dong Lau route, then temporarily suspended work to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Regarding the Khe Da bridge project, before Tet (Lunar New Year), the Tien Dong Commune People's Committee was allocated 2.5 billion VND to continue construction. However, due to the approaching Tet holiday, the local authorities did not proceed with the project to avoid unfinished construction and traffic congestion. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Chairman of the Tien Dong Commune People's Committee, after the 15th day of the first lunar month, the commune will request the contractor to concentrate machinery and manpower to accelerate the construction progress of the Khe Da bridge project in order to disburse the allocated funds as soon as possible.
Speed up the process.
According to the contractor's representative, by the end of 2025, the province had essentially allocated sufficient investment capital, totaling over 108 billion VND, for the Lat - Lang Rao; Huong Son - Phu Son; and Dong Lau - Thung Mon projects. Based on this, immediately after the Lunar New Year (the 15th day of the first lunar month), the contractor will mobilize manpower and machinery, organize simultaneous construction along the entire route, and strive to accelerate progress and complete the items as soon as possible according to the approved plan.
According to the design, the Lat - Lang Rao and Dong Lau - Thung Mon routes are being constructed to the standards of a Class V road in the plains, with a 5.5m wide asphalt surface and a 7.5m wide roadbed. The Huong Son - Phu Son route is designed to the standards of a Class VI road in mountainous areas, with a 3.5m wide surface. Upon completion, the project will gradually improve the connectivity of intra-regional and inter-regional transportation infrastructure, contributing to reducing transportation costs and creating favorable conditions for the consumption of agricultural and forestry products by the people.
Moreover, the route also opens up opportunities to attract businesses to invest in high-tech agriculture, forest product processing, service development, and community tourism – areas identified as strengths of the western region of Nghe An province.
The Tien Dong commune authorities expressed their hope that the Department of Construction and other relevant departments and agencies would soon pay attention, allocate sufficient funds, and resolve obstacles so that contractors can accelerate construction progress and bring the project into operation comprehensively and effectively as soon as possible. “Provincial Road 534D is not only a transportation route, but also contributes to the socio-economic development of the locality. The people are very much hoping for the road to be completed soon so they can feel secure in their long-term production and business activities,” Mr. Nguyen Van Thang emphasized.
The prompt removal of obstacles related to funding and procedures, and the acceleration of the construction progress of Provincial Road 534D, not only fulfills the aspirations of the people of Tien Dong but also contributes to the completion of the transportation network in Western Nghe An. Once this vital road is fully operational, the potential for local socio-economic development will be significantly enhanced.
