Hanoi (VNA) –🍸 The Ministry of Transport has directed investors and project management boards to mobilise resources and equipment to reduce the timeframe for construction on the North-South Expressway.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh launched a 500-day emulation campaign to complete 3,000km of expressways, so project management boards and construction teams are pushing hard to finish the projects early. Ten component projects of the expressway’s eastern motorways are expected to be completed three to six months ahead of schedule. The highways include Bai Vot – Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi – Vung Ang, Vung Ang – Bung, Bung – Van Ninh, Van Ninh – Cam Lo, Quang Ngai – Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon – Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon – Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh – Van Phong, and Van Phong – Nha Trang. According to the management board of the Chi Thanh – Van Phong project in Phu Yen province, the section is built at a total cost of over 10.7 trillion VND (433.6 million USD). More than 1,800 workers, and nearly 740 pieces of equipment have been mobilised for the project, and nearly 60% of the workload has been fulfilled so far. The contractors have taken the advantages of the favourable weather conditions to push ahead with the construction, striving to finish it in September 2025, a representative from the management board said. As for the Van Phong – Nha Trang project in Khanh Hoa province, the management board and contractors confirmed they are accelerating construction to receive traffic in April next year, six months earlier than the deadline set by the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, the construction crew of more than 4,000 people have worked around-the-clock on the Quang Ngai – Hoai Nhon project in Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces. Contractor Deo Ca Group JSC said that it is expecting to complete 61% of the workload by the end of this year.

Contractors have finished 56% and 37% respectively of the workload of the Van Ninh – Cam Lo running through Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces, and Can Tho – Ca Mau running through the five Mekong localities of Can Tho, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang and Ca Mau. According to the Ministry of Transport, Vietnam has constructed over 2,000 kilometres of expressway so far. Over the past two years, the transport sector has achieved miracles as a series of component projects of the Eastern North-South Expressway have been completed and put into operation, transforming the country's transportation landscape.

Based on the current pace, in just two more years, the component projects of the North-South Expressway will reach completion to meet the goal of achieving 3,000km of operational expressways by 2025. The improved transportation infrastructure is seen as a socioeconomic breakthrough for both the region and localities. The North-South Expressway component projects for the 2021-2025 phase promise to create breakthroughs for both the region and each locality. Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang emphasised that the Government and the Prime Minister have carefully directed ministries, sectors, and localities to coordinate in overcoming difficulties. They have issued numerous resolutions with specific mechanisms to address challenges regarding material sources./.