Land clearance delays major road projects

Investors of major transport projects behind schedule in HCM City have been unable to give clear answers about the completion of their projects because of slow progress in land clearance.

The project to expand Inter-provincial Road 25B, which plays a key role in transporting containers from Cat Lai Port, lacks sufficient land to continue construction.

Every day, the three-kilometre road has to transport thousands of container trucks in and out of Cat Lai Port, the busiest port in Viet Nam.

The construction of US$34 million road building has slowed, although the city government urged the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment to accelerate site clearance in 2009.

At that time construction of Phu My Bridge had been completed, opening the way for more vehicles to travel on Road 25B, causing frequent traffic jams.

Duong Quang Chau, deputy director of HCM City Infrastructure Investment Company, appointed by the city People’s Committee as the main investor of the project, said the company had received only 60 per cent of the total 12 hectares needed for expansion.

The land should has been transferred to the company completely before October 15 last year, he said, adding that progress on the project had also been hindered by the price hike of construction raw materials.

“The project will be completed in around one year if we fully receive land for construction,” Chau said.

The project to upgrade the six-kilometre Pham Van Bach Street, which connects Truong Chinh Street in Tan Binh District and Quang Trung Street in Go Vap District, was done at a very slow pace.

The city government made the decision to expand it 10 years ago, but due to the land clearance issue, the construction had to stay idle.

Last year, the city Department of Transport and the project investor asked to stop the project but the city government urged that construction continue, according to Le Quyet Thang, an official from the department.

Several projects including the Tan Son Nhat – Binh Loi Road and Ha Noi Highway face the same problem. The projects’ deadlines were scheduled for the third quarter last year.

However, while several transport facilities lag seriously behind schedule, several other works have been approved.

Recently, the city announced groundbreaking for 18 transport works, one of which is the construction of the six-lane Sai Gon 2 Bridge.

The other 17 important projects will begin soon. They include the road along Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal, Phuoc Loc Bridge in Nha Be District, and several transport facilities at the city’s gateways. —VNS

Tags: Vietnam Infrastructure