34,000 billion VND expressway project: Considering disciplining a series of groups and individuals (Photo: IT)

Accordingly, VEC has temporarily suspended the Director of the Da Nang – Quang Ngai Expressway Project Management Board. Five individuals were disciplined with warnings, including: Executive Director of the joint venture contractor package 4; Executive Director of the joint venture contractor package 6; warning for the officer in charge of construction of the contractor package 4 (section constructed by Tuan Loc Company); warning for the officer in charge of construction of the contractor package 6 (section constructed by Thanh An Corporation); Deputy Director and Head of the Operation and Maintenance Team of the Da Nang – Quang Ngai Expressway Management Board.

VEC also warned 4 units, including: Joint venture contractor management board of package 4; Joint venture contractor management board of package 6; Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway Project Management Board; Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway Operation Management Board. According to VEC, after more than 1 year of putting into operation the first 65km of the route (August 2, 2017), around the end of September 2018, some local damage appeared on the 3cm thick roughened asphalt concrete layer at some locations with an area of ​​about 70 m2 / 3.1 million m2. These damages were inspected by the units with on-site records and reported to the Project Management Board.

However, the repair work was not carried out promptly and thoroughly by the contractors, causing further damage to the asphalt concrete layer below, potentially causing traffic safety risks; on the other hand, the work of providing information to the press was not complete and timely, causing negative public opinion. After more than 04 days of construction, the repair work and repair of the damaged road surface at this section of the route were completed, basically ensuring technical requirements, quality, absolute traffic safety and was confirmed to be completed by the competent units, and was allowed by the Ministry of Transport to put it back into toll collection.

On the main route, there are about 21 locations out of 426 total bridges and culverts that are leaking due to the contractor's incomplete drainage system construction, not meeting technical requirements, or damage during operation. VEC has directed the contractor to thoroughly fix these locations next week.

At some locations where the slope slopes have collapsed, because the protective grass layer has not yet developed, VEC has requested contractors to urgently fix and complete the slopes to ensure technical requirements.

The project has a 24-month warranty period. During this period, the contractor is responsible for all costs of repairs and correction of damages and deficiencies.

Previously, VEC also admitted for the first time that some underpasses were leaking and seeping. Specifically, VEC said that the WB section (Km65+000 – Km139+204; put into operation from September 2, 2018): At some locations within the scope of Packages A1, A2, A3 (Km66+680, Km73+200-Km81+150, Km83+040 (right route), Km104+500, Km109+230...) there is still a situation where the road surface is still waterlogged; some bridge and underpass items are leaking and seeping from the water collection point to the sewer, the water collection pipe is dislodged from the joint; the bridge/underpass bed has not been cleared and cleaned; excess construction materials have not been cleared from the construction site; the work of reinforcing the slope of the bridge head has not been completed; Local road restoration work, construction of level crossings and service roads have not been completed.

The main cause of water seepage and stagnation at some bridges is that the construction of the bridge surface drainage system has not been completed to ensure technical requirements according to the design (some locations of water collection funnels and plastic water pipes have been installed but not tightly sealed, the drainage pipes have come loose from the joints...); The contractor has not constructed a ditch to drain the bridge surface water down under the bridge to a nearby round culvert, causing rainwater to flow under the bridge; the bridge bed/culvert has not been cleared as well as the clearance of excess materials from the construction of the bridge head cross beam out of the construction site, causing the bridge/underpass to be unsanitary, unsightly, and affecting the travel of local people.

Water seepage in the underpasses, through inspection, shows that the underpasses are mainly leaking at the expansion joints of the sewer walls. The main cause is that the water barrier installed between the two tunnel segments during construction is displaced, causing water leakage from the top of the underpass. The Contractor is slow to fix these problems, causing frustration among local people and creating negative public opinion for the Project.