On April 21, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh led a delegation from the Ministry of Construction to inspect and evaluate the construction progress of two significant expressway projects: Huu Nghi - Chi Lang (in Lang Son) and Dong Dang (in Lang Son) to Tra Linh (in Cao Bang).
Groundwork completion targeted by June 30th, before the rainy season
Exactly one year since the official groundbreaking of the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang expressway, the initial segment of the Eastern North-South Expressway project is gradually taking shape.
Reporting to the Minister of Construction and the delegation, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dong, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEOCA Group, stated that to capitalize on the dry weather, the construction unit has deployed 78 active construction fronts (including roadbed excavation and embankment, bridges, and drainage culverts), deploying 1,955 engineers and workers along with 900 pieces of equipment. The current construction output has reached VND 975 billion out of a total of VND 6,580 billion (equivalent to 15%), with a target to reach VND 5,062 billion in output by the end of 2025.
Mr. Nguyen Tan Dong, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEOCA Group, reports on the progress of project implementation.
According to the report, the current challenges of the project are land clearance (GPMB), waste disposal areas, material sources, and manpower for construction. Although the Lang Son provincial authorities have handed over 55 out of 59.8 km of the entire route (achieving 93%), there remains a “patchy” situation, with non-contiguous sections. Many segments of the cleared land cannot be accessed for construction due to some households that have not yet handed over their land within the route.
At the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang project, the construction unit has deployed 78 active construction fronts (including roadbed excavation and embankment, bridges, and drainage culverts), deploying 1,955 engineers and workers along with 900 pieces of equipment.
Additionally, contractors have reported issues of obstruction and price manipulation of construction materials in the Lang Son province area. The listed prices of materials are significantly lower than market prices, leading to suppliers “compensating” for the difference by inflating transportation fees.
Mr. Ho Minh Hoang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEOCA Group, reports on the progress of project implementation.
Representatives of contractors proposed that local authorities control the prices of materials from stone quarries to ensure they do not exceed the province’s announced prices and implement special mechanisms to increase the capacity of material quarries within the province to supply the project.
With strong determination, the investor and contractors aim to complete the asphalt concrete paving by the end of December 2025, open the route to traffic by June 2026, and fully complete the entire project by September 2, 2026, which would be approximately three months ahead of schedule.
DEOCA Group urges contractors to continue increasing manpower and machinery to focus on accelerating progress.
Commending the dedicated efforts of engineers and workers at the construction site, Minister Tran Hong Minh emphasized that the period from now until the end of June offers favorable conditions for construction. Therefore, the investor and contractors must maximize the deployment of personnel, machinery, and equipment to open additional work fronts for roadbed construction, as well as to carry out pile drilling and bridge abutment work along the route.
“Before June 30, all excavation, filling, roadbed construction, and pile drilling tasks must be completed to avoid the impact of heavy rain and floods. By September, the expressway sections through Chi Lang District, Lang Son, must be technically opened to traffic, aiming to complete the project within this year,” the Minister of Construction tasked contractors.
Minister Tran Hong Minh acknowledges the efforts of investors and contractors to bring the project to completion on schedule.
Addressing the situation of “abundant machinery but a shortage of skilled workers” for both the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang and Dong Dang - Tra Linh projects, DEOCA Group stated that they have proactively collaborated with Central Transport College 1 and Central Transport College 4 to “order” additional personnel, including drivers and machine operators, directly from these training institutions to support the construction units.
Highly appreciating DEOCA Group’s initiative of transforming “construction sites into training grounds” Minister Tran Hong Minh remarked: “This is an excellent initiative that provides students from vocational transportation colleges with opportunities to gain practical experience and enhance their real-world skills. I urge DEOCA Group to explore expanding this model not only for expressway projects in the North but also for those in the South.”
Determination to commence Phase 2 of the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway on September 2
Reporting to the inspection delegation at the Km79+250 bridge, which spans the Bang River of the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway project, the investor’s representative stated that to ensure the goal of opening the route to traffic in 2025, the project company and contractors have mobilized over 2,200 personnel along with 1,141 pieces of machinery and equipment, deploying 216 work fronts across the entire route. To date, the project’s construction output has reached 2,409 billion VND out of a total contract value of 10,438 billion VND (equivalent to 23%).
“To enhance the resilience of contractors amid the race against time, we have provided an additional 10% advance payment to support the supplementation of machinery and manpower,” said Mr. Nguyen Tan Dong.
Regarding land clearance (GPMB), Cao Bang province has so far handed over 757.4 out of 820.9 hectares (achieving 92%). To increase output and secure the site proactively, the investors and contractors have advanced compensation payments to local residents, ensuring early land clearance for construction.
To accelerate the completion of the two projects, DEOCA Group proposed that the People’s Committees of Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces urgently finalize the approval procedures for adjusting the two projects in April 2025 and sign the project contract annexes in May 2025.
Additionally, Mr. Ho Minh Hoang proposed that the Minister of Construction direct the Vietnam Road Administration to collaborate with local authorities and the investors to ensure the timely implementation of temporary rest stop investments along the route, ensuring completion simultaneously with the route opening in 2025 to avoid inadequacies and waste.
Mr. Ho Minh Hoang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEOCA Group, proposed that the Minister of Construction direct the Vietnam Road Administration to collaborate with local authorities and the investors to ensure the timely implementation of temporary rest stop investments along the route.
After listening to the reports from all parties, the Minister of Construction highly commended the resolute and united spirit between local authorities and investors, particularly DEOCA Group, while emphasizing the need to prevent minor obstacles from hindering overall progress, ensuring maximum benefits for the public.
The head of the construction sector requested that Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces continue to build upon their achievements to complete the handover of the entire project site, while decisively resolving all outstanding issues related to material sources, waste disposal sites, and the relocation of technical infrastructure for the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway before April 30, 2025. Minister Tran Hong Minh also requested that both provinces continue to direct relevant agencies and units to urgently accelerate the disbursement of budget funds allocated to support the two projects.
Construction at Dong Dang - Tra Linh Project, Package Km8+500-Km16+000 (Bac Viet commune, Van Lang district, Lang Son province)
“We must support contractors in construction activities and the completion of documentation and procedures to disburse funds for the two expressway projects, Huu Nghi - Chi Lang and Dong Dang - Tra Linh. Continue to implement construction solutions, ensuring absolute safety throughout the construction process” - Minister Tran Hong Minh directed the investors.
Minister Tran Hong Minh presents gifts to encourage instructors and students of Central Transport College 1, working at the construction site.
In addition, the investor must direct contractors to maximize manpower, machinery, and equipment to accelerate construction progress. Supervisory consulting units must closely monitor their tasks to ensure progress, while also prioritizing the quality of the project. The Minister of Construction emphasized the goal of opening both projects to traffic by December 2025 and commencing Phase 2 of the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway on the upcoming September 2.
The Minister of Construction emphasized the goal of opening both projects to traffic by December 2025 and commencing Phase 2 of the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway on September 2.
Additionally, DEOCA Group proposed that competent authorities consider designating contractors for the construction of two connecting routes from the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway to the Ta Lung border gate and Cao Bang city, to ensure balanced benefits for the investor of the Dong Dang – Tra Linh Expressway.
Mr. Ho Minh Hoang stated that DEOCA Group agrees with the plan to invest in the connecting route from the expressway to Cao Bang city under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, as directed by the Prime Minister, and will collaborate with Cao Bang province to coordinate efforts: “We have been dedicated in our commitment to invest in projects passing through challenging provinces like Cao Bang and Lang Son. Therefore, there needs to be a mechanism to ensure fairness and risk-sharing for investors in PPP projects.”
Construction of the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Project at the Km79+250 Bridge (under Contract Package EC02) spanning the Bang River
Minister Tran Hong Minh expressed his expectation that DEOCA Group will continue to support Cao Bang province in implementing connecting route projects to integrate with the expressway upon its completion, optimizing the efficiency of the infrastructure to serve the public.
During the program, addressing the issue of the shortage of skilled personnel in the transportation sector, DEOCA Group, as the investor, proposed that the Minister of Construction report to and recommend the Prime Minister to direct support for universities and colleges in collaborating, organizing workshops to facilitating the transfering and importing of training programs from foreign countries such as China and Japan.
“Organizing conferences chaired by the Ministry of Construction in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, core industry enterprises, and universities and colleges to develop training programs for human resources in management, operation, maintenance, and mechanical manufacturing. These programs should focus on in-depth training that integrates new technology applications, combining theory with practice in areas such as management, operation, and maintenance, high-speed railway construction, and metro systems (including specialized testing, automation, signaling systems, power supply systems, and new materials, etc.),” proposed the Chairman of the Group.
News: Huy Vu – Photo: Viet Trung
