Minister Tran Hong Minh: Strive to open the expressway from Cao Bang to Ca Mau

On May 8th, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh chaired the April review meeting and discussed key tasks for May 2025.

Minister Tran Hong Minh delivered the directive speech at the meeting. Photo: Ta Hai.

"One important task that has been completed is the Ministry’s successful coordination with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities in organizing the groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies for 80 projects to celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Reunification.

Four component projects along the North–South Expressway, totaling 221 kilometers in length, have been opened to traffic, bringing the total length of expressways nationwide to 2.242 kilometers. In addition, the main span of the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge has been joined," the Minister said, while urging investors and contractors to continue intensifying efforts with "three shifts, four crews" to complete the ongoing projects.

The target is to open the expressway from Cao Bang to Ca Mau by the end of 2025 as directed by the Prime Minister. To meet the target, the obstacle at the ongoing projects must be promptly addressed, especially at 11 component projects managed by localities. The progress of these remains significantly behind schedule, with only 40% completed, while the projects managed by the Ministry have reached 80% completion.

"If we make it, by the end of 2025, our country will have over 3.300 km of expressway", the Minister emphasized.

To ensure the progress of projects, Minister Tran Hong Minh requested that the Deputy Ministers concentrate on directing efforts to address the difficulties at the projects, especially at the 3.000 km expressway and Long Thanh International Airport and expedite procedures to ensure necessary conditions for the commencement of the Lao Cai – Ha Noi – Hai Phong railway project to begin within 2025.

Mentioning the norms and unit prices, the Minister requested relevant units to study and refer to international standards in order to develop and apply a system that is appropriate to Vietnam's practical conditions.

"The investors and other units must thoroughly review; any provisional estimates must be finalized, and items without unit prices must be incorporated to ensure settlement and finalization in accordance with regulations," the Minister directed.

Regarding disbursement, the Minister urged the heads of units to consider disbursement as one of the top political tasks, and to develop solutions that drive progress from the construction site to internal operations.

With special focus on the development of the legal system, Minister Tran Hong Minh assessed that the system of legal documents has continued to develop and has been issued according to the plan in recent times.

He also emphasized the upcoming restructuring of the administrative apparatus, units and two-level local government re-organization. Adapting to the practical conditions, the mission of the Ministry is to research and propose amendments to 7 laws, about 30 decrees and over 100 circulars related to planning, construction, and architecture. The laws and legal documents must be clear and easy to understand.

"The related units focus on researching and developing legal documents in line with new trends. The focus should be on decentralization, defining competencies in legal documents related to construction and transportation; special mechanisms and policies in the formulation, approval, and adjustment of sub-regional planning for dynamic urban areas when reorganizing administrative units at various levels and developing the two-tier local government model", the Minister requested.

Hải Ninh