On the morning of October 5th, the first drilling to open the tunnel portal was initiated at the eastern branch (right branch) of tunnel 2 in Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway project.

The tunnel portal’s opening milestone plays a crucial role in allowing contractors to focus on the construction work inside the tunnel. Earlier, in September, the northern left branch of tunnel 1 in Dong Dang - Tra Linh project was also opened.

According to the project enterprise's report on land clearance, the two localities along the expressway have handed 51.713/93.350 km of land (55.4% completion). Specifically, Cao Bang province has handed over 35.365/41.55 km (85.11% completion), while Lang Son province has handed over 16.348/51.8 km (31.56% completion).

The first drilling to open the portal of tunnel 2 at the eastern branch was carried out.

Regarding the progress of tunnel construction, the contractor reported that for the western portal of tunnel 2, the right branch has been excavated for 192 meters, while the left branch has been excavated for 114 meters. As for tunnel 1, 12 meters of the temporary left branch tunnel in Cao Bang province has been constructed.

Additionally, the enterprise project has proposed that the People's Committees of Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces report to the Prime Minister for approval to transfer 120 hectares of land allocated for transportation from Cao Bang province to Lang Son province, and to reallocate Lang Son province’s transportation land quota from the 2026–2030 period to the 2021–2025 period in order to accelerate site clearance and secure land for construction.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the 525-day emulation campaign to open the expressway, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dong Dang – Tra Linh Expressway Joint Stock Company, affirmed that it is essential to take advantage of the dry season from now until May 2025 to accelerate construction progress and ensure the project is completed on schedule.

Dong Dang – Tra Linh expressway project in phase 1 spans a total length of over 93 km, with a total investment of more than 556.4 million USD. The main route includes four tunnels, along with two additional tunnels on the branch route.

Once completed, the expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Cao Bang province and Hanoi city from 6 - 7 hours to approximately 3.5 hours.

News: Huy Vu