This project is facing a paradox, already available, the ground is gradually clearing, but the construction site is still "slumped" due to lack of sand.
The number speaks, the total demand is more than 17 million m3 of sand, but so far only about 10 million m3 has been brought in, which is still a shortage of 7 million m3.
This gap is not just a number but unfinished road sections, construction fronts that cannot be deployed simultaneously.
Reality at the construction site shows that manpower is only operating in moderation, and machinery cannot fully utilize its capacity due to material "hunger".
This is not just a story of a project. Sand shortage has lasted for many years in the Mekong Delta and has spread to Ho Chi Minh City.
A series of infrastructure projects, from expressways to ring roads, are being implemented, putting pressure on sand supply increasingly.
Meanwhile, river sand mines are increasingly depleted, and the previous massive exploitation has left serious consequences.
Consecutive riverbank landslides are no longer distant warnings, but the immediate consequences of "gutting" the riverbed.
If continuing to exploit at all costs, the price to pay is not only the environment being destroyed, but also the livelihoods of people being threatened.
Therefore, tightening exploitation is correct, but it also means that supply will become even more limited.
Faced with this situation, sea sand is expected to be the exit, but the implementation is still clumsy, from technical standards, treatment technology to licensing mechanisms.
If not quickly removed, this replacement source will forever remain on paper, while the construction site is still waiting for materials every day.
The core issue is the lack of an overall strategy on building materials for infrastructure.
Therefore, management agencies and localities clearly identify sand reserves, accelerate the licensing of new mines that meet exploitation conditions, and shorten procedures but do not relax supervision.
Technology must also be considered, improving techniques, designing and constructing elevated roads according to new technology to reduce dependence on natural sand. This is not just a temporary solution, but a long-term direction.
According to the plan, by 2030, the Mekong Delta region will have at least 1,300km of expressways. If the sand problem is not solved, not only one delayed project but also the regional infrastructure strategy will be affected.
Expressways cannot "run" on plan boards lacking materials. To maintain the committed progress, first of all, it is necessary to ensure sufficient sand.
When the supply is proactive, the construction site will truly accelerate. Conversely, if we are still struggling with the sand problem, the risk of delay is inevitable.
