Land clearance for the trillion-dong expressway project is blocked
As one of the key infrastructure projects in the Northern mountainous region, the Cho Moi - Bac Kan expressway (Thai Nguyen) is expected to create a breakthrough in regional connectivity.
However, the project is still facing difficulties and problems in the site, causing many construction items to not be implemented synchronously.
The Cho Moi - Bac Kan Expressway project started construction in March 2025, with a total length of 28.8km, of which the main route is 28.4km and the route is 0.4km long.
The starting point connects Thai Nguyen - Cho Moi Expressway, the end point connects Bac Kan - Cao Bang Expressway.
The route is designed according to the four-lane scale standard, with a total investment of more than VND 5,750 billion. This is a key project to open the way to promote economic development.
Previously, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a decision to add the Cho Moi - Bac Kan route to the list of important national projects, key to the Transport sector.
According to the reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper in early September 2025, many areas of the project site have been handed over but the current status is still "steady".
The handover site is about 24/28km but the actual construction has only reached more than 8km, divided into many small sections.
The main reason is that some households have not agreed and requested additional support mechanisms.
Some other cases have not received compensation, making it difficult to synchronously deploy the handed-over area.
In addition, some households keep land waiting to harvest trees for sale. Notably, the situation of people barricading themselves in Na Giao village, Thanh Thinh commune, caused construction obstruction.
Struggling to remove obstacles
The main problems are currently related to residential land, production land, and public infrastructure, causing the construction of the power line to be interrupted.
In Thanh Thinh and Thanh Mai communes, many sections of the route have machinery but are operating at a low level.
Some areas of power lines have not been relocated, contractors have to stop waiting for clean land to continue implementation.
Finding a suitable site for the excess soil and rock is difficult due to steep terrain, close to the stream, and the slow opening of new dumping sites has caused congestion in the foundation.
The supply of construction materials is scarce, low-capacity quarries do not meet many projects at the same time, causing some items on the expressway to be delayed.
In addition, unusual heavy rain since the beginning of the year has caused flooding, landslides, and directly affected the foundation.
Informing the reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of a construction unit said that the project was expected to be completed in 2026, however, up to now, the site clearance progress (GPMB) has not yet met requirements.
The main reason is that people have not agreed to the compensation price, the resettlement area is not yet completed, many households are worried about not finding suitable land, while the relocation of technical infrastructure is still slow.
Therefore, the contractor only constructs at a low speed, with resources scattered, causing the project completion plan to be faced with the possibility of not reaching the previously expected schedule.
Previously, the unit also proposed that the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province direct units to relocate technical infrastructure in September, and that the high-voltage power line should be completed by December 2025 at the latest.
The site clearance work for the entire route needs to be handed over in September, which is a key condition for the contractor to be able to implement it according to plan.
The two resettlement areas in Thanh Thinh and Thanh Mai communes are also being urgently built, helping people quickly stabilize their new homes.
Another important solution is to arrange a dumping site, a representative of a construction unit proposed a mechanism for land acquisition and allocation according to the Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway model to thoroughly handle the excess soil and rock.
Regarding material sources, the unit recommended that the province direct stone quarries to increase capacity in time to meet demand, otherwise the shortage would have a direct impact on the construction progress of the entire route.
