The Prime Minister chaired a meeting to review the implementation of the North-South Expressway project.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

LARGE VOLUME BUT MANY PROBLEMS

The North-South Expressway construction project in the East from Ninh Binh to Quang Tri has a total length of 480.5 km, passing through the provinces of Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Quang Tri.

The project is divided into 10 component projects in 2 phases. Phase 1 includes the following component projects: Mai Son - National Highway 45, National Highway 45 - Nghi Son, Nghi Son - Dien Chau, Dien Chau - Bai Vot. Phase 2 includes the following projects: Bai Vot - Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi - Vung Ang, Vung Ang - Bung, Bung - Van Ninh, Van Ninh - Cam Lo.

Representatives of the Ministry of Transport reported on the implementation of projects. Photo: Pham Bang

Phase 1 (2017 - 2020) has a total length of 221.2 km, including 5 component projects (1 PPP investment project and 4 public investment projects). Phase 2021 - 2025 has a total length of 259.3 km, including 5 public investment component projects through the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri. The investment scale of the completed phase is 6 expressway lanes, the investment phase is 4 lanes with a roadbed width of 17m.

Of the 5 component projects mentioned above, the Cao Bo - Mai Son section (15.2 km long) will be completed in early 2022; the remaining 4 component projects are under construction. Of which, the Mai Son - National Highway 45 section is expected to be completed on April 30, 2023; the National Highway 45 - Nghi Son section and the Nghi Son - Dien Chau section will be completed in the third quarter of 2023; the Dien Chau - Bai Vot section will be completed in the second quarter of 2024.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang speaks at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The Mai Son - National Highway 45 project has accumulated output to date of 6,058.76 billion VND, reaching 83.7% of the contract value. The Nghi Son - Dien Chau section project has realized output value of more than 2,786 billion VND, reaching 63.4%, expected to be completed by July 2023. The Dien Chau - Bai Vot section project has output value of contractors of more than 2,046 billion VND, equivalent to 24.02% of the contract value.

For the 2021-2025 period, localities have cleared 73% of the land, meeting the conditions for contractors to construct. Localities are preparing and approving plans for technical infrastructure relocation and selecting contractors to relocate in the second quarter of 2023.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung speaks at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The 5 component projects of the Ha Tinh - Quang Tri section are divided into 9 construction packages, of which 8 packages have signed construction contracts and contractors are planning to implement construction.

At the meeting, representatives of the supervision consulting unit, investors and contractors raised difficulties and made recommendations on the issue of price inflation reserve; removing difficulties in purchasing materials for project construction; providing guidance on implementing tax refund policies; handing over the site to contractors...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha speaks at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The provinces also raised difficulties in site clearance. Representatives of ministries and branches answered concerns and recommendations of contractors as well as localities.

CANNOT BE HAPPY WITH THE PEOPLE'S HEART AND SUPPORT

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged and highly appreciated the bustling and exciting construction atmosphere at the construction sites; the participation of the entire political system and the people, responding to the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, striving to have 3,000km of expressways nationwide by 2025, and 5,000km of expressways by 2030.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concluded the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The Prime Minister emphasized that the two issues of capital and public awareness have been resolved. The remaining important issue is how to organize and implement the project to achieve the above goal as soon as possible, fastest, and with the highest quality. And with what has been done and measured, there are conditions, grounds, and rights to hope for the completion of the set goal.

Welcoming and thanking the active participation of localities, ministries, branches, investors, consultants, and contractors; acknowledging the awareness and active participation of the people, the Prime Minister emphasized that we must not let the people down, but must respond to their feelings, because they have donated land, donated houses, relocated graves, changed habits, and given up convenience for the project.

Leaders of ministries and branches attended the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

After inspecting five provinces and cities, the head of the Government asked localities to quickly carry out site clearance work to soon stabilize people's lives.

Localities must be proactive in this work according to their authority; ministries and branches must collect the difficulties of localities to report to the Deputy Prime Minister for final settlement. The Prime Minister commended the two provinces of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa for their work in site clearance in recent times.

Government and local leaders attended the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Regarding the issue of construction materials, the Prime Minister requested localities to review incorrect and inaccurate issues and immediately correct them, creating favorable conditions for contractors and investors, contributing to reducing costs, and not accepting the situation of hoarding goods and forcing down prices.

The Prime Minister also emphasized that the problem belongs to whichever ministry or sector, that ministry or sector must take the lead and coordinate with other ministries and sectors to resolve, not let it drag on, and must complete each task; the recommendations of the units and provinces at today's meeting must be resolved by February 2023, not let it drag on.

Local leaders attended the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

For phase 2, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested to overcome the situation of dividing the bidding packages of phase 1, thereby reducing administrative procedures, reducing negativity, and overcoming the situation of capital increase. On the other hand, the parties need to coordinate closely, create conditions for each other; end the situation of "eating for the moment", must "do it thoroughly".

The Prime Minister also noted that ministries, branches, localities, investors, consultants, and contractors must ensure the quality of the works, and control them well to ensure progress and avoid unreasonable price increases. During the construction process, safety must be ensured, aesthetics must be ensured, and the environmental landscape must be preserved.

The Prime Minister personally entered the tunnel to inspect the construction progress of Than Vu tunnel, part of the Dien Chau - Bai Vot sub-project. Photo: Pham Bang

During construction, try to avoid residential areas and important military areas, try to make the route as straight as possible; fight corruption, negativity, and group interests, ensure workers' lives; fight against bid-rigging and collusion by strengthening control and inspection.

Resettlement work for people must be carried out quickly, promptly, in accordance with policies and regulations, with attention paid to jobs. The new place of residence must be higher than, or at least equal to, the old place of residence.

The Prime Minister and his delegation listened to a report on the implementation of the North-South Expressway project, Dien Chau - Bai Vot section. Photo: Pham Bang

Localities must also include in their planning the construction of intersections and bypasses to ensure synchronization with the highway; review the issuance of raw material mines in accordance with regulations, rectify the issuance of illegal licenses, rectify the hoarding of goods, and price gouging.

After about 2 years of project implementation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the lessons learned: Must stick closely to reality, promptly resolve problems; do not divide bidding packages, develop standards and criteria for bidding and auction processes in a public and transparent manner; strengthen management, inspection and supervision; problems of phase 1 must be corrected and adjusted appropriately in phase 2; mobilize more social resources in the spirit of public-private partnership.