The above situation was recorded by Lao Dong Newspaper reporters on February 24.
Along the construction site from An Nhon, Go Vap, An Hoi Dong, An Hoi Tay wards (former Go Vap district), Tan Son, Tan Binh (former Tan Binh district), Binh Hung Hoa, Binh Tan (former Binh Tan district), no construction workers are seen.
Machinery gathered in the command area and scattered on the route, many cranes on the barges also stopped operating.
Notably, the project to renovate the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Nuoc Len canal is one of the projects in Ho Chi Minh City registered for construction throughout the Lunar New Year 2026, but the reality at the construction site is completely opposite.
Some sections of road along the canal have been technically opened to traffic. However, in the area near An Loc bridge, the road surface above the drainage culvert is broken, revealing the steel inside, posing a potential safety risk for road users.
Many other sections are under construction, rocks and soil are piled up, creating mud, stagnant water pollution and foul odors.
Under the canal, although water hyacinth and weeds had been dredged and removed beforehand, due to slow construction progress, water hyacinth and weeds have grown back lushly.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh (65 years old, living by the canal section passing through Go Vap district before) said that at the time of construction, the construction site was operating bustlingly, and people expected the canal to soon be revived into a green canal, contributing to changing the urban appearance.
But for the past 3 years, the project has been slow, greatly affecting people's lives and travel. The closer to the finish line, the fewer workers. Many road sections along the canal are muddy and very inconvenient to travel. We hope the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City will direct drastically to accelerate progress and complete the project soon" - Ms. Binh said.
The project to improve the environment and build infrastructure along the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len canal was started in February 2023, with a total initial investment of 8,200 billion VND, after adjusting to more than 9,000 billion VND.
The canal is nearly 32 km long, built with concrete embankments on both banks, dredging the canal bed, building a road along the canal 8 - 12 m wide, installing drainage systems, lighting, green trees; building 19 drainage culverts, 12 wharves and 3 connecting bridges.
According to the initial plan, the project was expected to be completed on April 30, 2025. However, the project was delayed and the implementation time was adjusted to 2026.
The project has a total of 40 bidding packages, of which 10 main construction packages are participated by 69 contractors in the form of a joint venture. Although the number of contractors is large, the overall progress has not yet met expectations.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board (the investor), after more than 3 years of implementation, the project has achieved about 70% of the volume of main items.
One of the major difficulties is the existing electricity and telecommunications cable system running along the canal. Many underground cable lines and low-voltage power poles have not been relocated, causing obstruction to construction. The investor is coordinating with the electricity sector to accelerate the relocation, rearrangement, and create a clean ground for the remaining items.
In addition, the construction progress of the canal-side road in the past time has also been affected by the lack of supply of sand and construction stone and the high price of materials. Although the city has designated a stone mine to supply the project, the volume still does not meet the demand, and needs to be further supplemented to ensure progress.
