The Hữu Nghị–Chi Lăng Expressway is among the key transport projects slated for completion by December 19 this year. —VNA/VNS Photo Văn Đạt

HÀ NỘI — Key transport projects set for completion at the end of this year are being urged to speed up progress, with head investors and contractors told to step up efforts to meet the deadline.

They are slated to be completed by December 19, which marks the anniversary of Việt Nam’s All-People Defence Festival.

However, multiple projects remain behind schedule with little major progress, prompting the Ministry of Construction to review each contractor’s performance and apply necessary measures to ensure the projects are finished as planned.

Five sub-projects under the ministry’s planned 3,000km expressway are behind schedule and at risk of missing the deadline, according to the MoC’s Department of Construction Economics – Investment Management.

Notably, the Biên Hoà–Vũng Tàu section is 65.4 per cent complete, equivalent to a 1.4 per cent delay. Meanwhile, the Hậu Giang–Cà Mau section has reached 75.8 per cent completion, nearly 6 per cent behind schedule.

The department noted that although project management units had taken steps to address slow-performing contractors by requesting additional machinery, equipment, manpower and extended working hours, prolonged heavy rainfall significantly affected construction, particularly asphalt paving works, thereby hampering progress in these projects.

Eleven other projects are also at risk of missing their deadlines this year due to slow land clearance and shortages of construction materials, according to the department.

Six major projects are seriously behind schedule, including sections of the Hồ Chí Minh Road (Chợ Chu–Trung Sơn Junction) and National Highway 14B, where completion rates remain below 40 per cent, as well as the connecting routes between Nội Bài–Lào Cai and Tuyên Quang–Phú Thọ expressways, which have completed only about a quarter of their workload.

At a review meeting in early November, Minister of Construction Trần Hồng Minh said five key expressway sections under the 3,000km programme must make stronger efforts to meet the December 19 deadline. These include the Biên Hòa–Vũng Tàu, Quy Nhơn–Chí Thạnh, Chí Thạnh–Vân Phong, Cần Thơ–Hậu Giang and Hậu Giang–Cà Mau routes.

The construction ministry has asked head investors to be present at project sites to promptly address problems, coordinate with local authorities for land clearance and push contractors to overcome weather-related delays and accelerate construction.

Weekly meetings will be held to review each contractor’s progress to ensure the project schedule, with underperforming units to be strictly dealt with under contract rules. Additional capable contractors may be brought in if necessary to keep projects on track.

Over $1.4 billion to be disbursed by the end of 2025

By the end of October 2025, the Ministry of Construction had disbursed about VNĐ40.9 trillion (US$1.5 billion), or 51 per cent of its annual capital plan.

With over VNĐ37 trillion ($1.4 billion) remaining in this year’s disbursement plan, Minister Minh urged project management units and head investors to quickly finalise payment procedures, especially for completed sections of the North–South Expressway.

The Department of Construction Economics – Investment Management has been tasked with setting up inspection teams to review slow projects, with department leaders staying on-site to help resolve obstacles for project owners and contractors.

The Việt Nam Road Administration was asked to coordinate efforts to remove bottlenecks and speed up expressway projects due on December 19, especially the Tuyên Quang–Hà Giang, Đồng Đăng–Trà Lĩnh and Hữu Nghị–Chi Lăng routes, and to help project units complete paperwork for disbursing around VNĐ500 billion ($19 million) in remaining state budget funds.

Minister Minh also said head investors must assign competent personnel to promptly address issues related to project dossiers, ensure effective settlement and further accelerate disbursement progress.

He stressed that any obstacles in commencing transport projects by December 19 must be reported and resolved promptly, as successful groundbreaking would not only enhance infrastructure capacity but also help accelerate public investment disbursement. — VNS