Đèo Cả Group constructs a mountain tunnel on the North-South Expressway. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Construction of key expressways across the country is being accelerated, with approximately 1,188km expected to be completed by 2025.

Investors and contractors are ramping up efforts to ensure projects stay on schedule.

At the Quảng Ngãi - Hoài Nhơn Expressway, over 95 per cent of road embankments, along with drainage systems and underpasses, have been completed, according to Lê Thắng, Director of Project Management Unit 2. Stone base layers have been installed on 12km of the route, and asphalt mixing plants are ready for pavement work.

More than 3,850 workers and 1,550 machines have been mobilised across the site, with construction proceeding in three shifts.

Currently, 56 per cent of the project is complete. Efforts are being made to fast-track tunnel construction, with breakthroughs expected by April 30.

Đèo Cả Group, responsible for three mountain tunnels, aims to shorten road construction timelines by three months and tunnel construction by eight months, targeting completion by late 2025.

Similarly, at the Chí Thạnh - Vân Phong Expressway, Lê Thanh Hải, General Director of Central Construction Group, said that progress had reached 50 per cent, though excavation for roadbeds had been delayed due to adverse weather. The company has committed to maximising resources to ensure the project is operational by September 2025.

For the Biên Hòa - Vũng Tàu Expressway, the Ministry of Transport reports that subproject 1 is nearly 20 per cent complete, focusing on road foundations and pavement work.

Subproject 3 in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province has surpassed 75 per cent completion, while subproject 2 stands at around 28 per cent. According to Nguyễn Ngọc Hà, Director of Project Management Unit 85, contractors are deploying all available resources to accelerate progress, with some sections ready for asphalt paving soon.

To ensure the timely completion of these critical infrastructure projects, the Ministry of Transport has mandated detailed construction schedules for each contract package, allowing for regular progress reviews. Contractors failing to meet deadlines will face strict measures, including warnings, workload adjustments or contract termination.

The ministry is also working closely with local authorities to address land clearance and construction material supply issues, urging streamlined procedures for quarry licensing. Strict supervision measures are being enforced to maintain quality alongside progress.

According to Nguyễn Thế Minh, Deputy Director of the Department for Construction Investment Management, the completion of 1,188km of expressways in 2025 spans 28 projects, with 889km under the Ministry of Transport’s management and nearly 299km managed by local authorities.

To meet targets, the ministry has reinforced the Prime Minister’s directive to maintain round-the-clock work schedules, ensuring construction progresses uninterrupted through all conditions. — VNS