Contractors working on the North-South Expressway project in Hà Tĩnh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Hữu Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Several sub-projects for the North-South Expressway due for completion by the end of this year are facing significant shortages of sand and stone materials required for road foundations, among other problems.

The Ministry of Construction explained that issues have come up due to delayed land handovers, adverse weather conditions and insufficient materials.

The ministry also said two sub-projects spanning from Cần Thơ to Cà Mau require additional materials to complete embankment works by the end of the month. An estimated two million cubic metres of materials are still needed, including 1.6 million cubic metres of sand and 0.4 million cubic metres of stone.

While a sufficient supply has been identified, the extraction capacity remains limited, with only 35,000cu.m produced daily out of around 69,000cu.m needed per day.

To meet the project deadlines, investors have instructed consultants to explore technical solutions and modify designs to reduce the time needed to treat weak soil.

The adjustment aims to alleviate pressure on sand requirements.

In light of these challenges, the ministry has urged the relevant provincial authorities in An Giang, Đồng Tháp, Tiền Giang, Bến Tre and Đồng Nai provinces to resolve issues and expedite the approval process for mining licences, in line with instructions from Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà.

The People's Committee of Tiền Giang is required to complete licensing procedures for a quarry with a capacity of 0.6 million cubic metres before March 15 to supply the Cần Thơ – Cà Mau sub-project.

It must also ensure the availability of an additional 1.4 million cu.m and complete the licensing procedures for extraction.

The People's Committee of Bến Tre Province is tasked with adjusting approval documents for two quarries allocated to the Cần Thơ – Cà Mau sub-project, to allow for equipment upgrades and an increase in extraction capacity, in line with the approval adjustment process.

Meanwhile, the People's Committee of Đồng Nai Province must review the needs and schedules of its investors, finalising the licensing, extension and capacity enhancement for quarries. The provincial authorities should allocate extraction quotas to each quarry to meet the project's material requirements.

The ministry has also committed to overseeing the acceleration of inspections, urging contractors to adhere to the prescribed project timelines.

Under the report, the North-South Expressway project, spanning 721.2km and crossing 12 provinces and cities (Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Quảng Ngãi, Phú Yên, Bình Định, Khánh Hòa, Hậu Giang, Cà Mau, Kiên Giang, Bạc Liêu and Cần Thơ), is divided into 12 independent sub-projects comprising 25 construction packages.

The first 14 construction packages broke ground on January 1, 2023, while the remaining 11 packages started between January 15 and February 19, 2023.

The total value of work completed stands at approximately VNĐ66.9 trillion (US$2.62 billion), representing 70.3 per cent of the contract value so far. — VNS