Part of Ring Road 3 in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of HCM City’s Traffic Works Management Board

HCM CITY — HCM City authorities are seeking to engage with residents affected by key traffic projects, including the Ring Road 3 project, to expedite land handovers and site clearance. 

Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, Lê Ngọc Hùng, deputy director of HCM City’s Traffic Works Management Board, said the city has formed a specialised command board for compensation and resettlement activities for the project. 

Currently, land clearance for the Ring Road 3 project has reached 99.8 per cent completion, with 1,689 out of 1,692 households agreeing to land transfers.

Hùng attributed the success to proactive advocacy efforts, including community engagement by retired officials and local leaders, which have addressed concerns and improved understanding of the project’s challenges. 

Authorities are also utilising off-hours for advocacy to minimise disruption to residents.

In addition, the traffic management board has implemented strategies to streamline land clearance, including assigning project managers to work directly with compensation teams and conducting regular monitoring. 

They also conduct sociological surveys to evaluate the impact on affected households and develop plans for improving their quality of life.

Public communication efforts aim to help residents understand the land clearance process while providing material assistance for relocation, he said.

Lessons learned from the Ring Road 3 project will inform future land clearance initiatives, he said, recommending a coordinated approach and ongoing public engagement.

Construction of Ring Road 3 began in June 2022 and is set to open in late 2025, with full completion expected in 2026. 

Spanning 90 km at a cost of over VNĐ75.3 trillion (US$3.2 billion), it will traverse HCM City and the provinces of Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, and Long An. 

The road will feature six lanes for speeds of 80-100 km per hour, plus two emergency stop lanes. 

The first phase will cover 76 km with four lanes, with localities responsible for site clearing and construction. 

An overpass will connect the ring road to the HCM City – Long Thành – Dầu Giây Expressway, linking Đồng Nai and HCM City, and connecting to the Dầu Giây – Phan Thiết Expressway.

The project will also connect to four other expressways, enhancing traffic flow and fostering urban and industrial development.

Võ Trung Trực, deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that since 2022, nearly 540 projects in the city have been designated for compensation and land clearance, including key projects such as Ring Road 3 and metro lines 1 and 2.

For metro line No. 2, which connects Bến Thành Market in District 1 to Tham Lương Depot in District 12, 585 affected cases have been identified, with 576 successfully handed over, achieving a 98.5 per cent completion rate. 

For Ring Road 3, over 1,690 affected households have been addressed, with nearly 1,700 completed, resulting in a 99.8 per cent rate.

At Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport’s new Terminal T3, all land has been cleared.

In Việt Nam, disputes often arise between affected households and public project developers due to low compensation rates compared to market values. 

Inadequate compensation has stalled real estate development and led to disputes, experts said.  

Experts said it was vital to foster closer engagement with residents to explain the significance of projects and ensure smoother compensation and land handovers. 

In a related move, city authorities recently updated land prices to over VNĐ687 million ($27,000) per square metre in central districts and VNĐ2.3 million on the outskirts, increasing rates by four to 38 times.

These new residential land prices will determine compensation, taxes, and fees, aiming to resolve the low compensation issue.

City officials said the new price table will enhance transparency and fairness for both individuals and organisations. — VNS