The western ring road project from National Highway 14B to Ho Chi Minh Road has lagged behind schedule due to a lack of contractors’ interest and the impact of COVID-19.

There was only one bulldozer operating on the west ring road from National Highway 14B to Ho Chi Minh Road. Photo taken in May, 2022.

In September 2018, Da Nang commenced construction of an over 19km-long west ring road from National Highway 14B to Ho Chi Minh Road.

The project’s investor is the Management Board of Traffic Work Investment and Construction Projects. The Truong Son Corporation and the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No.1 (CIENCO1) are its contractors.

The VND1,499 billion project is scheduled to be completed on September 30, 2022, but so far the construction of roadbed has not yet been completed.

In fact, many sections of the ring road are still intact, and the amount of work left is quite large.

As observed by our reporter on May 15 morning, the number of construction workers and vehicles seen on the construction site is quite modest. There were only 1-2 bulldozers scooping up land on the whole long route, whilst there were no dump trucks and construction workers there.

Chairman of the Hoa Vang District People's Committee Phan Van Ton remarked the cause of the delay was not due to the site clearance bottlenecks, because many sections of the road had clean ground but the contractors did not mobilise machinery, equipment and human resources for construction.

By late April 2022, 28 households affected by the project have yet to hand over their land to the project’s contractors. However, they had already signed the minutes of handing over the premises to the project contractors before May 30.

According to a report released by the Management Board of Traffic Work Investment and Construction Projects, a lack of material transportation roads, the impact of COVID-19, and the landslides on the slopes of the taluy caused by rainy season in 2021are the main causes of the delay. Apart from the aforementioned objective reasons, the subjective cause is due to the capacity of the project’s contractors.

Specifically, CIENCO 1 has yet to deploy the project on schedule although it has been already handed over the ground.

Meanwhile, representatives from CIENCO 1 said that some sections have complicated geological conditions, so the project is delayed for a long time.

Director of the Management Board of Traffic Work Investment and Construction Projects Nguyen Minh Huy informed that in order to accelerate the completion of the project, his unit has asked contractors to increase the number of human resources, equipment and machinery, as well as had a plan to build public service roads suitable to reality to facilitate the organisation of construction at the segments and locations that already have the premises.

The Management Board has also requested the contractors to urgently replace the construction units at the segments and locations where the premises were available but the construction was delayed. The purpose is to ensure that the project will be completed on December 30, 2022.

Reporting by THANH LAN - Translating by M.DUNG