The North-South Expressway project through Nghe An still has some technical design shortcomings that need to be resolved.

North-South Expressway section through Quynh Vinh commune (Hoang Mai town). Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Currently, according to the report of Project Management Board 6 (Ministry of Transport), investors, project enterprises as well as localities where the expressway runs through, the site clearance has been basically completed, ensuring the requirements for construction of the entire main route. However, there are still some weak points and problems that need to be focused on, including weak points related to technical design and shortcomings of construction items. This reality requires adjustments from project owners, investors, project enterprises and construction units.

The traps"open air"on the way to collect people

Quynh Vinh Commune (Hoang Mai Town) is the first locality where the North-South Expressway Project in the East passes through Nghe An Province (Nghi Son - Dien Chau Component Project). Here, the expressway runs through the commune with a length of nearly 5km, affecting residential land and agricultural land of people in villages: 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11. Quynh Vinh is also one of the communes that completed the first site clearance of the project. Up to now, the main route of the project has been formed, the construction units have spread crushed stone at many locations, some sections have been paved with asphalt, but some residential roads and underpasses are causing difficulties for people.

People had difficulty transporting agricultural products through the underpass in village 5, Quynh Vinh commune (Hoang Mai town) on the morning of May 31. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

At the civil underpass project in village 5, Quynh Vinh commune, according to the reflection of the people and local authorities, the road connecting the two ends of the culvert after being dug up by the construction unit was not restored in time.

Present at the tunnel construction site through Village 5 on the morning of May 31, Nghe An Newspaper reporters noted: At this time, the sun was scorching hot, but the road leading from the west of the tunnel had a large puddle of water. According to local residents, the reason was that after constructing the road and sewer, the contractor did not restore the ground. This caused difficulties for people and vehicles.

The west side of the expressway underpass, section 5, Quynh Vinh commune, was dug into a large hole but the construction unit did not fix it. Photo taken on the morning of May 31, 2023. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Also in Quynh Vinh commune, in the opposite direction to Thanh Hoa, about 500m from the underpass of village 5 is the underpass and the village 7 service road system. Here, when constructing the underpass connecting the residential service road, the construction unit demolished and built a new road through the tunnel. However, right at the eastern end of the underpass, a new concrete road was built with a width of 3m, 0.5m narrower than the old road built by the people. In addition, after completion, because the construction unit did not return the site, it created a concrete edge higher than 20cm, obstructing traffic. Along with that, at the two ends of the underpass, sinkholes were formed, at the head of the hole (the section adjacent to the road into the tunnel) were steel bars used to press concrete that had not been removed, so they protruded above the mouth of the hole and became a trap for vehicles.

The feeder road connecting to the underpass in village 7, Quynh Vinh commune (Hoang Mai town) is 0.5m narrower than the old road built by the people. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

After the rain on the morning of May 29, the eastern section of the underpass through village 7, Quynh Vinh commune became a trap for road users. Photo: Provided by local people

Ms. Le Thi Nhuy - Head of Village 7, Quynh Vinh Commune said that this situation has existed for 2 months now. "People complained to the hamlet, the hamlet complained to the commune, the commune reported to the town but until now (May 31 - PV) the construction unit has not resolved it.

On May 16, 2023 (the third time), the People's Committee of Quynh Vinh commune issued Proposal Report No. 569/BC-UBND on handling existing problems during the construction of the North-South Expressway Project through Quynh Vinh commune to the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town; the Compensation and Resettlement Council of Hoang Mai town; Project Management Board 6 - Ministry of Transport. The People's Committee of Quynh Vinh commune requested relevant levels, branches and units to continue to promptly take measures to resolve and overcome the above shortcomings. However, so far, they have not been resolved.

A car was "trapped" while passing through the underpass in village 7, Quynh Vinh commune. Photo: Provided by local people

Underpass in village 7, Quynh Vinh commune (Hoang Mai town) on the morning of May 31. Because the construction unit has not yet returned the ground, the bottom elevation of the underpass is more than 20cm higher than the connecting road surface. Local people confirmed that this is a trap for road users. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Due to not restoring the soil after constructing the underpass and the access road, the construction unit created a large hole. The junction between the tunnel and the road still has a concrete-pressed steel bar. This is a trap for people and vehicles participating in traffic. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Backflow of water in the sewerhorizontalline

At noon on May 31, 2023, Nghe An Newspaper reporters were present at the North-South expressway section passing through Quynh Trang commune (Hoang Mai town). Here, according to the reflection of the leaders of the commune People's Committee, when the expressway was formed, it caused many problems, causing difficulties for local people in their daily life and production. The biggest problem at present is the system of 3 round culverts across the expressway with a bottom elevation higher than the field level and irrigation/drainage canals in the inner-field areas in the villages: 2,3,4,5,6,8. Faced with the above reality, on February 2, 2023, Quynh Trang Commune People's Committee (Hoang Mai town) issued Report No. 10/BC-UBND summarizing the existing problems, difficulties, and recommendations during the construction of the North-South expressway.

Recorded at noon on May 31, water from the field in village 8 could not flow through the field in village 6 because the bottom of the culvert was higher than the field surface and the bottom of the irrigation/drainage canal in the area. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

The local government reported: “Currently, along the North-South expressway passing through Quynh Trang commune, there are 3 culverts across the road serving irrigation and drainage for agricultural production of the people. Specifically: the culvert from Dong My area, village 3 to Dong Gia Mong area, village 6; the culvert from Dong Sim area, village 2 to Con Doi Ba area, village 5; the culvert from De Hai (village 8) to Gia May area, village 6. However, in reality, when put into use, these 3 culverts all have a higher bottom than the bottom of the old irrigation and drainage canals that were built before, causing many difficulties in irrigation and drainage for agricultural production of the people.

Quynh Trang Commune People's Committee requests Project Management Board 6 - Ministry of Transport and Hoang Mai Town People's Committee to consider and specifically inspect and lower the bottom of the above culverts to ensure irrigation and drainage for long-term agricultural production for the people.

With the naked eye, it can be seen that the rice field surface is lower than the bottom of the sewer. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Responding to the issue reported by Quynh Trang commune, on March 20, 2023, Project Management Board 6 - Ministry of Transport issued Document No. 479/BQLDA6-BDH NS-DC. The document stated: "For 3 locations of circular culverts across the route serving irrigation in Quynh Trang commune, the contractor and supervision consultant have inspected and agreed on the project to ensure drainage, in accordance with the current status of the local canal".

Then, on March 21, 2023, the People's Committee of Quynh Trang commune continued to issue Report No. 77/BC-UBND requesting Project Management Board 6 and relevant units to lower the bottom of the above 3 sluices to ensure irrigation for agricultural production for the people.

Leaders of Quynh Trang commune (Hoang Mai town) talk with reporters of Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Mr. Le Dang Thang - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Trang Commune (Hoang Mai Town) said that in fact, it was not until February 2023 that the local government issued a document requesting Project Management Board 6 and the construction unit to consider adjusting the bottom elevation of the above 3 culverts. Previously, when the construction unit proceeded to install the culverts, it was found that the bottom elevation of the above drainage culverts was higher than the bottom of the water supply/drainage canals in the area. The locality had requested adjustments to suit the terrain and hydrology here, but was still not accepted.

Still not satisfied, on March 27, 2023, the People's Committee of Quynh Trang commune invited an independent design consultant to inspect the bottom elevation of some culverts in the area. Through the inspection, it was discovered that the horizontal culvert in the field from village 3 to village 6 (route Km391 + 870.87m) had a deviation from the original approved design of the project. Specifically: The measured bottom elevation of the culvert downstream was 5.34m (according to the design, it was 5.09m). Thus, the bottom of the existing culvert that has been constructed has a large difference from the approved design, from 19-25 cm.

In addition, the two other culverts from the field of village 2 to village 5 and the field of village 8 to village 6 both have a bottom elevation higher than the field surface and the bottom of the irrigation/drainage canal in the area (according to the approved design). Meanwhile, this area has an area of ​​nearly 80 hectares of agricultural land of local people.

After receiving the feedback from the People's Committee of Quynh Trang commune, the contractor and construction unit only adjusted and lowered the bottom elevation according to the design of 1 of the 3 culverts, which was the culvert constructed incorrectly according to the design, the remaining 2 culverts have not been adjusted.

Through the actual observations of reporters at the scene, the reflections of the Quynh Trang commune authorities are completely grounded. At the culverts from village 2 to village 5 and village 8 to village 6, stagnant water flows out of the irrigation/drainage canals. With the naked eye, it can be seen that in many locations, the field surface and the canal bottom are higher than the bottom elevation of the culvert. And the failure to adjust the design of this cross-line culvert system is forecast to cause flooding during the rainy season in many residential areas of Quynh Trang commune, causing flooding of people's cultivated land.

Request to adjust the design of residential underpass

The North-South Expressway Project in the East passes through Hung Nguyen District with a length of 25.88 km. According to the local government report, by the end of May 2023, Hung Nguyen had completed 100% of the site clearance task.

On May 17, 2023, Phuc Thanh Hung Investment Joint Stock Company (project enterprise) sent a document to the People's Committee of Nghe An province, the People's Committee of Hung Nguyen district and Project Management Board 6 - Ministry of Transport, requesting to resolve land clearance problems at some locations in Hung Nguyen district. Among the problems that the enterprise raised and requested to be resolved, there is the content that the project is stuck with land clearance at the access road to the underpass at Km453+206, Hamlet 4, Hung Yen Nam commune.

The underpass section through Hamlet 4, Hung Yen Nam Commune is designed to be lower than the current road. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Based on the actual situation, the underpass at Km453+206, Hamlet 4, Hung Yen Nam Commune has been unfinished for many months, due to local residents preventing construction activities. According to the People's Committee of Hung Nguyen District, the underpass section through Hamlet 4 has a designed bottom elevation 1.2-1.6m lower than the current road. This is not suitable for the traffic infrastructure of the area.

Mr. Pham Minh Hung - Head of Hamlet 4, Hung Yen Nam Commune said that the construction unit digging the tunnel deeper than the residential road will cause many difficulties for the people. If the design is kept as is, the residential road level will have to be lowered by more than 1m. How will families living along the road go up and down, in and out of their houses? Meanwhile, this area is low-lying, and will be heavily flooded during the rainy season. With that view, Mr. Phan Anh Nam - Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Yen Nam Commune suggested that the investor and project enterprise adjust the design, raising the bottom of the tunnel to the same level as the current road surface to create favorable conditions for people in the area.

Mr. Ngo Trong Nghia - Deputy Director of the Dien Chau - Bai Vot Expressway Project Management Board (Ministry of Transport) explains the problems on the North - South Expressway section through Hung Nguyen. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

Regarding this issue, Ngo Trong Nghia - Deputy Director of the Dien Chau - Bai Vot Expressway Project Management Board (Ministry of Transport) said that previously, the technical design of the underpass through Hamlet 4, Hung Yen Nam Commune had been confirmed and approved by relevant agencies and units. However, when the project was actually implemented, problems arose. To solve this problem, a number of options have been proposed, of which, according to Mr. Ngo Trong Nghia, the most harmonious option is to raise the surface of the underpass by about 1m. To concretize this requirement, Mr. Nghia "suggested" that the district should call the province, and the province should call the Ministry of Transport to have a basis for resolution.

Another weak point in Hung Nguyen district that the project enterprise mentioned is the 480m problem.²Sandbank land, Mr. Hoang's factory, route Km463+416.175 in hamlet 6, Hung Dao commune. This is the location across the canal, where the service road of the expressway project runs through.

The problem at Ong Hoang sand wharf, route Km463+416.175 in hamlet 6, Hung Dao commune was completely resolved by the Hung Nguyen district Land Acquisition Council and handed over to the Phuc Thanh Hung project enterprise on May 31. Photo: Thanh Thanh Nhat Tuan

According to the People's Committee of Hung Nguyen district, "Regarding the 480m problem²Sandbank land, Mr. Hoang's factory at Km463+416.175, hamlet 6, Hung Dao commune, the affected area on the extract, measured according to the land clearance milestone handed over by the investor is 286m2²belong to phase 2 of the project (not 480m)²As reported by the enterprise). The District Land Clearance Council said that this content was due to an area error during the extraction and measurement process, so it had to be adjusted, and a file had been prepared to strive to complete before May 31, 2023.

On the afternoon of May 31, answering reporters of Nghe An Newspaper, a representative of Hung Nguyen District People's Committee said: "The problem at Km463+416.175, Hamlet 6, Hung Dao Commune has been completely and timely resolved by Hung Nguyen District People's Committee as reported to the Provincial People's Committee."

The North-South Expressway Project is a national key project, thousands of households in Nghe An have been affected and have accepted losses because of the project. Therefore, people also hope that if the technical design or construction items still have shortcomings, causing great impacts on people's lives and production, relevant agencies need to consider and adjust thoroughly.