The delayed decision of Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway toll collection plan puts Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway project at risk of being behind the schedule because investors could not determine the location of the toll station for the new expressway.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directs related agencies to speed up Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway project - Photo: MAU TRUONG
On July 31, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a meeting with the leaders of Tien Giang province and the Trung Luong - My Thuan Project Management Unit in Tien Giang province.
This is the third visit of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc since the project was restarted in March 2019. The PM has directed and removed the remaining difficulties to ensure the route connection by the end of 2020.
Mr. Nguyen Tan Dong, General Director of Trung Luong - My Thuan BOT Joint Stock Company, said that over the past time, the construction was being affected by COVID-19 epidemic, drought and severe saline water intrusion in Mekong Delta region led to raw materials scarcity, hindering project construction activities.
However, the Management Board has worked with contractors, find all measures to overcome difficulties. So far, the project has basically completed the work of superimposed loading to handle weak ground on the main route.
Up to now, compared to the last visit of PM in March 2020, the construction volume has been pushed up from 40% to nearly 60% (up 20%), ensuring the route connection plan by the end of 2020 as directed by the Prime Minister.
The South is currently the rainy season, although the construction work has to face with unfavorable weather conditions, the contractors are still determined to work hard to ensure the connection plan by the end of 2020, getting ready to serve vehicles with less than 16 seats or less than 2.5 tons during the Lunar New Year 2021.
According to Mr. Dong, the Ministry of Transport and the People's Committee of Tien Giang province has not yet agreed on the location of the toll station for the project due to the concern about synchronous toll collection of Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway route.
The investor has repeatedly requested the competent state agency to decide the location of the toll booth to deploy construction soon.
Until now, the company has not received any response from the Ministry of Transport and the People's Committee of Tien Giang province, this is a special project that has signed BOT construction contracts without the determination of toll booth location.
“This will put the project at risk of being behind the schedule”, Mr. Dong said.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway has already done BOT contract, now only collects money on this route. “Get a right name, just “toll”, not “price” or anything else”, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said and requested the relevant agencies must submit the toll collection plan of HCMC - Trung Luong Expressway on early next week (3-8) to make decision, no further delay. At the meeting, the Prime Minister also praised the competent state agency, investors and related units and suppliers that have done a good job to accelerate the construction in the past time. |
