In just a few hours, the new year of the Snake will begin. In the moments of reunion, people and families are bustling with Tet preparations. Apricot, peach and kumquat trees are still bustlingly displayed on street corners.
Amidst the bustling atmosphere of welcoming spring, in the rugged mountainous region of the Northeastern border, the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway construction site is bustling every day.
The sound of machinery roared, dust flew everywhere. Workers wearing protective gear worked tirelessly.
The strong arms and sweat soaked the construction workers’ blue shirts seemed to blend in with the urgent rhythm of the construction site. Modern machinery operated at full capacity, supporting people to conquer the rugged terrain, speeding up the construction progress.
Pausing to prepare for the shift change when the afternoon was approaching and the sun was gradually setting behind the mountain top, Mr. Nguyen Van An - a worker at the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway construction site, passing through Van Lang district, Lang Son province - turned his eyes to his hometown Ha Trung, Thanh Hoa, taking the opportunity to call his wife to update the situation on New Year's Eve.
After making sure everything at home was taken care of by his wife, Mr. An returned to the workers' rest area, located on a hill a few hundred meters from the workplace. There, he and his fellow workers prepared the year-end dinner.
Having been involved in the country's key projects since the very beginning, when the first excavator bucket touched the northeastern borderland, the 50-year-old worker signed up to work through Tet without hesitation.
Mr. An shared: "I have been a "Deo Ca person" for nearly 5 years now and have been at the Dong Dang - Tra Linh highway construction site for nearly a year. This is not the first time I have celebrated Tet at the construction site. Because of my duty, I do not mind. When doing ideological work with my wife, she also supports me and does not hesitate at all."
Mr. Nguyen The Dung - Deputy Commander of Hoang Long Infrastructure Development and Construction Investment Company (Deo Ca Group) - said that the construction site is currently constructing the roadbed and culvert items.
"In the last days of the year, our employees worked very hard, following the spirit of "overcoming the sun and overcoming the rain" initiated by the Prime Minister. The company also encouraged workers to stay and work through Tet to strive to open the route by the end of 2025.
Regarding the workers' lives during Tet, what is at home is the same at the construction site. We organize Chung cake wrapping, peach blossoms, kumquats and traditional Tet dishes so that everyone can enjoy the spring but not forget their duties, trying to keep up with the schedule," said Mr. Dung.
The construction site is divided into two working periods, from the 25th of Tet to the 2nd of Tet and from the 2nd of Tet to the 7th of January. On the 8th of January, all workers will gather at the construction site.
It is known that not only at the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway construction site, the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang expressway construction site and the National Highway 4B construction site, section Km18-Km80, were also under construction during the Lunar New Year.
The Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway project has a total length of 121 km, divided into two investment phases. In phase 1, the Dong Dang - Tra Linh Expressway is invested with a length of more than 93 km, starting at the Tan Thanh Border Gate intersection, Van Lang district (Lang Son), and ending at the National Highway 3 intersection in Chi Thao commune, Quang Hoa district (Cao Bang). The highlight of the project is the two tunnels through the mountains of Dong Khe and That Khe.
Phase 1 of the project has a total investment of 14,167 billion VND, invested by the consortium of Deo Ca Group Joint Stock Company - ICV Vietnam Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company - Deo Ca Transport Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company - Construction Joint Stock Company 568. Phase 1 is expected to be opened to traffic in 2025 and completed in 2026.
