Construction site of Western Ring Road Project in Cần Thơ City. VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ – Capital disbursement of the Western Ring Road project in Cần Thơ City was just VNĐ57.4 billion (US$2.26 million), achieving 18.54 per cent of the target by late October although the project was allocated over VNĐ300 billion ($11.86 million) this year, reported Department of Planning and Investment.

Most projects are proposed to adjust and supplement the public investment plan for 2024 based on actual implementation, following the schedule set by the project owner.

However, in addition to projects with disbursement progress meeting or exceeding the plan, some projects are behind schedule.

Regarding the Western Ring Road project in Cần Thơ City connecting National Highway 91 to National Highway 61C, the land clearance has reached 54 per cent, and approximately 50 per cent of the site has been handed over to contractors.

Four out of seven construction packages have been carried out.

Currently, the project is undergoing an investment policy adjustment, and once completed, the remaining three construction packages will be implemented.

According to Nguyễn Hoàng Tùng, deputy director of the Department of Transport, the project faced delays due to time spent on testing the foundation and piles of bridge structures.

Until these tests are completed, the next steps cannot proceed. The testing package was only started in July 2024, and now the Department of Transport is instructing contractors to accept completed work volume for subsequent implementation, he said.

Additionally, the shortage of sand remains a significant challenge for this project.

“Rising sand prices and a shortage of supply have impacted the project. Although the project has received sand from various sources, quality checks have found it unsuitable, leading the investor to return it to the suppliers,” Tùng explained.

"After inspection, we found that some sand sources were contaminated with salt, making them unusable as Cần Thơ City has yet to approve the use of salt-contaminated sand for local projects," he said.

Furthermore, certain areas of the ring road project are still awaiting land clearance, affecting the overall project progress.

The Western Ring Road project in Cần Thơ City was officially launched in November 2022 with total investment of nearly VNĐ3.8 trillion ($150 million), of which VNĐ2 trillion ($78.9 million) is from the Central Budget and VNĐ1.8 trillion ($71 million) is from the local budget, including VNĐ2.6 trillion ($102 million) for construction costs and over VNĐ1 trillion ($39.4 million) for compensation, support, and resettlement expenses.

The project is scheduled for implementation from 2021 to 2026, impacting around 1,243 households, of which 464 will require resettlement.

The entire route is 19.3km long, with a cross-section of 16.5m on each side and a design speed of 50-60km per hour, and includes 25 bridges. VNS