Vietnam will hold groundbreaking ceremonies in nine localities on Sunday for all 12 subprojects of the North-South Expressway project in the 2021-25, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Deputy Minister Huy used the press conference as an opportunity to thank the state for its direction and support in commencing the 12 subprojects in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Hau Giang, and Ca Mau provinces.

He also announced the Ministry of Transport’s plan to coordinate with the People’s Committee of affected localities to inaugurate the Cam Lo-La Son expressway – a section of the North-South Expressway in Thua Thien Hue Province – on Saturday.

Efficient construction

Supplying the project for the North-South Expressway subprojects has been difficult given the sand shortage in the Mekong Delta, said Nguyen Tien Minh, deputy head of the Transport Construction Investment Management Authority.

According to Minh, there is 47 million cubic meters of soil available for the 12 subprojects, most of which will be sourced from southern An Giang, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, and Soc Trang Provinces.

Previously, the government permitted sand mines to increase their capacities by 50 percent, as well as assigned contractors to exploit new mines.

The Ministry of Transport has cooperated with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to work with Mekong Delta provinces over the sand supply.

The North-South Expressway project was labeled as a project of national importance, thus worthy of support from provinces with the resources needed to ensure its success.

While meeting with localities, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment asked those with sand to exploit new sand mines and provide sand to a prioritized list of localities.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Transport has directed relevant agencies and the management boards of subprojects to use sea sand for leveling.

According to a consulting firm involved with the project, sand sea meets the project’s requirements and an assessment of the effect of sea sand on the environment is currently underway.

Minh shared that sea sand will be used for the Hau Giang-Ca Mau subproject before its effectiveness and environmental impact is assessed at the end of 2023.

The North-South Expressway project was scheduled to be executed in two phases, with phase one from 2017 to 2020 and phase two from 2021 to 2025. The respective length of each phase is 654 and 729 kilometers.

Phase one was approved by the National Assembly in 2017 and phase two in November last year.

In the first phase, the project, including 11 subprojects, carries a price tag of VND102.5 trillion (US$4.3 billion).

Meanwhile, the estimated cost for the second phase of the project, which was divided into 12 subprojects, totaled VND147 trillion ($6.2 billion).

The phase was expected to be finished in 2025 and put into operation in 2026.

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