Expansion Project for Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway: Accelerating Site Clearance

(DTO) The Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway Expansion Project (the Project) is being urgently implemented by relevant units. More than 1,000 personnel and nearly 400 pieces of equipment have been mobilized at the construction site. 

However, to ensure construction stays on schedule, site clearance and the relocation of technical infrastructure need to be accelerated to enable contractors to carry out construction works simultaneously. 

FOCUSING CONSTRUCTION ON AREAS WITH CLEARED SITES 

In late August, construction crews for Package XL01 were working at locations where sites had already been cleared. Drilling and excavating machines, along with material transport vehicles, remained busy in several areas. 

At the Cho Dem Interchange in Ho Chi Minh City, several technical infrastructure facilities, including medium-voltage power lines, water supply systems, telecommunications cables and advertising billboards, are undergoing relocation procedures. In some other areas, local access roads also fall within the planned expansion area. Therefore, contractors are coordinating and adjusting the construction of soft-ground treatment, bridges, road widening and traffic arrangements to suit actual site conditions. 

Pham Quang Hung, a representative of Khai Thanh, the contractor working on Package XL01, said the company had mobilized substantial equipment and manpower to the site. However, because the full construction site has not yet been handed over, the available machinery and workforce cannot be utilized to full capacity. 

“There is now only a limited amount of cleared land available for continued construction. If the remaining site is handed over in September, we will arrange additional shifts to make up for lost time, striving to meet and exceed the required construction output,” Hung said. 

PROACTIVELY IMPLEMENTING SOLUTIONS TO MAINTAIN PROGRESS 

Similarly, Chu Van Anh, Site Commander for Quoc Viet contractor, said the company had mobilized two bored-pile drilling rigs, along with more than 60 workers and technical staff, to construct piles, pile caps and bridge piers. However, construction at some locations still depends on site handover and the relocation of technical infrastructure. The contractor is coordinating with the project owner and relevant units to proactively adjust construction plans and make the most of areas where sites have already been cleared. To minimize impacts on the overall schedule, contractors are also working with the project owner to find ways to build temporary access roads, allowing machinery and equipment to reach areas where construction can proceed. 

According to Nguyen Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the Project Management Board, more than 87 hectares of land need to be cleared for the Project. Local authorities are carrying out site clearance according to the approved plan and current regulations. In the Km9-Km11+140 section, near the Cho Dem Interchange in Tan Nhut Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has assigned the Tan Nhut Commune Construction Investment Project Management Board to take charge of site clearance. The feasibility study report for the subproject on compensation, support and resettlement has been appraised, and relevant agencies are continuing to complete the necessary procedures. 

While awaiting site handover, the Project Management Board is coordinating with relevant parties to implement various solutions to maintain construction progress. According to Cuong, completing site clearance as soon as possible will allow the project to make full use of the manpower, machinery and equipment already mobilized, thereby ensuring the overall project schedule. 

ENSURING PEOPLE’S RIGHTS AND STABLE LIVELIHOODS 

Alongside the need to maintain the project schedule, site clearance must also ensure the lawful rights and interests of residents in affected areas. Some households in Tan Nhut Commune said they had been informed, surveyed and had the areas expected to be affected by the Project recorded. They are now awaiting the relevant authorities’ completion and announcement of specific plans for land acquisition, compensation and support, as well as the timeline for the next steps. 

Implementing the Project is not only about meeting construction deadlines but also requires close coordination among authorities, the investor, contractors and local residents to fully implement compensation, support and resettlement policies, helping stabilize the lives and livelihoods of people in the project area. On August 12, the Prime Minister issued an official dispatch directing Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap and other relevant localities to accelerate expressway projects in the southeastern and southwestern regions. 

For this Project, local authorities have been instructed to prioritize compensation, support and resettlement, relocate technical infrastructure, and hand over cleared sites according to schedule. They are also required to mobilize the entire political system to ensure stable living conditions, livelihoods and housing for affected residents. Continued efforts by local authorities to resolve difficulties, complete procedures and accelerate site clearance are expected to create more favorable conditions for contractors to carry out construction simultaneously, helping the Project meet its scheduled completion date. 

By XUAN THANH - THANH XUAN
Translated by ANH DUC