On the afternoon of June 12, the Steering Committee for Dong Dang– Tra Linh expressway project held a meeting in Hanoi to discuss solutions to accelerate the project’s progress, plans for Phase 2 implementation, and connection routes as directed by the Prime Minister.

Shared understanding, coordinated action

The meeting was chaired by Quang Minh Cuong – Secretary of the Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Project Steering Committee. Attending the meeting were Deputy Secretary Vu Hong Quang; Be Thanh Tinh – Member of the Provincial Standing Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council, and Head of the Provincial Propaganda and Education Committee; Le Hai Hoa – Chairman of the Cao Bang People’s Committee; Ho Minh Hoang – Deputy Head of the Steering Committee and Chairman of Deo Ca Group (the lead investor consortium for Phase 1), along with other members of the Steering Committee and working groups.

The overview of the meeting

In his opening remarks, Secretary Quang Minh Cuong affirmed that with strong determination from the Government, local authorities, investor consortium, and contractors, the project must basically be open to traffic by December 19 - a “tremendously challenging” goal. According to him, the project’s success in the upcoming phase depends directly on the coordinated and synchronized efforts of all stakeholders.

Secretary Cuong called on the entire political system to actively support the investors, while contractors must apply scientific and methodical construction methods to accelerate progress while ensuring safety and quality.

Notably, the Steering Committee Head also warned of potential risks related to policy mechanisms, approaching storm and flood season, and delays in capital disbursement, all of which could impact construction progress.

He urged the authorities and investors to share a common understanding, take united action, and urgently develop response scenarios to proactively tackle emerging challenges. “With the rainy season approaching, all parties must review their resources and prepare plans to avoid being caught off guard,” Cuong emphasized.

Mr. Quang Minh Cuong, Secretary of the Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Project Steering Committee, spoke at the meeting.

According to the working group's report, to achieve the goal of opening to traffic by 2025, investors, project enterprises, and contractors have mobilized personnel and equipment, launching over 200 construction points with a total of 1,428 machines and 3,228 workers and engineers working around the clock on the handed-over sections. As of now, cumulative progress has reached approximately VND 3,000 billion out of VND 10,438 billion - equivalent to 30.05% of the contract value.

Regarding land clearance, 784.75 out of 825.91 hectares (98.19%) have been handed over according to the technical design documents. Of this, Cao Bang has delivered 362.34/367.5 hectares (98.60%) and Lang Son has handed over 448.63/458.41 hectares (97.87%). Both provinces pledged to complete handover of the remaining land by June 2025.

Local authorities are also working with the project enterprise to complete the remaining clearance work in accordance with the technical design documents, review and approve compensation and resettlement plans, and encourage households to hand over their residential land as soon as possible.

Harmonized benefits, shared risks

At the meeting, delegates discussed construction progress, implementation challenges, rest-stop station planning, and key tasks for Phase 2 of the project.

According to the signed project contract, the completion deadline is December 2026. However, following the Prime Minister’s directive to open the route in 2025 - 10 months earlier than planned - the investor consortium reported that all parties involved, from investors to contractors and state management agencies, must uphold the principle of “harmonized benefits, shared risks” as the Prime Minister emphasized. Efforts are needed to resolve issues such as disposal sites, site access, and material supply, especially since land access is urgent and materials are scarce, requiring overcapacity extraction, all while costs for labor and materials have risen significantly. Even though the State’s capital contribution has been increased to 70%, this only ensures feasibility and bank financing, not higher profits for investors or contractors.

The delegates focused on discussing the construction progress and the difficulties and obstacles encountered during the implementation process.

“When the official completion deadline is revised at the State’s request and in line with public expectation, it means investors must contribute capital more quickly, and contractors must mobilize additional resources to work overtime - driving up material prices. Although no one has yet proposed how to resolve these emerging risks, we are continuing to push forward and request further support”, said Ho Minh Hoang.

Discussing construction during the rainy season and with only six months remaining to open the route, the Chairman of Deo Ca Group stressed that in addition to speeding up progress, technical standards and legal regulations must be strictly followed to avoid future liability during inspections or audits that may ignore the upper-level directives to shorten timelines and procedures. With increasingly erratic weather, completing the route by 2025 remains a major challenge for both Cao Bang Province and Deo Ca Group.

Mr. Ho Minh Hoang – Chairman of Deoca Group spoke at the meeting

Regarding Phase 2 implementation, the grassroots-level Appraisal Council and Cao Bang Department of Construction are reviewing adjustments to the investment policy. Approval is expected by June 20, 2025, with the project approved by June 30, 2025.

For rest-stop station investments, local authorities and contractors must coordinate flexibly and “empathetically” to gain local community support.

Speaking at the meeting, Le Hai Hoa, Chairman of the Cao Bang People’s Committee, stated that while the project has recorded very positive results so far, much work remains. With the mindset of “only discussing how to get it done, not making excuses,” he urged all parties to work together to resolve difficulties, make the most of available construction time, strictly comply with legal regulations, avoid wrongdoing, and not exploit the work for personal gain or act subjectively.

Mr. Le Hai Hoa, Chairman of the Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee, spoke at the meeting.

In his closing remarks, Secretary Quang Minh Cuong praised the efforts of all local authorities and contractors for demonstrating strong political will and effective action. However, with the target of opening the route by late 2025, time is extremely limited.

Regarding land clearance, he called on Thach An and Quang Hoa districts to complete all work within June 2025 and secure maximum community consensus. As for materials, he requested the Departments of Agriculture and Environment to fully leverage special policy mechanisms to increase mining capacity for the project while ensuring safety for workers and nearby residents.

Concerning Phase 2, Secretary Cuong stressed: “Groundbreaking must take place on August 19, 2025 - this is a direct political directive from the Prime Minister. All related procedures must be completed and on schedule to avoid delays”.

Regarding construction activities, he required contractors to both maximize equipment and workforce mobilization and strictly adhere to safety and quality standards. He emphasized that only with political determination, scientific methods, disciplined processes, and mutual understanding can this modern expressway be completed on time - contributing to the socioeconomic development of Cao Bang Province.

Report: Thanh Binh – Photo: Hieu Nguyen