The construction site is deserted of workers
Hoang Huu Nam road is about 1.7km long, connecting key infrastructures such as the new Mien Dong Bus Station, Metro Line No. 1 and Oncology Hospital facility 2... However, recorded at the beginning of March, this road is still quiet, with no construction workers.
Renting a business premise here before the COVID-19 epidemic, Mr. Ba (resident of Long Binh ward) sighed, looking at the road full of gravel in front of the door, reflecting: "They have been working for a few days and then stopped again. From December last year to now, machinery is almost shelved, no workers are seen working.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Van Hiep, a long-time resident here, said that the road surface is currently only filled with temporary stone. Over time, under the impact of heavy trucks, the road surface deteriorates rapidly, forming "potholes and craters" right in front of people's houses.
The biggest nightmare of people along the road is pollution. Because the road surface is dug up, but has not been paved with asphalt, every time a container truck or dump truck passes by, dust rolls up white like fog.
On sunny days, dust covers the house, cleaning all day is not enough. Children come home from school with dirty clothes, adults riding motorbikes are terrified of slipping and falling due to gravel" - Ms. Thu Ha - a resident near the gate of the new Mien Dong Bus Station - shared. Although the construction unit has water trucks 1-2 times a day, according to people, this is just a temporary solution, just a few minutes later the road surface will become dry and dusty as before.
Besides dust, nighttime noise also affects the sleep of people on this route. Mr. Hiep was upset that the container truck running at night crashed into rock crevices and manhole covers, causing loud noises, making his family unable to sleep peacefully. Even many heavy trucks often turn around right in front of their houses, posing a risk of traffic accidents.
Encountering site clearance and being penalized
The Hoang Huu Nam road expansion project is invested by the Thu Duc City Construction Investment Project Management Board, started in June 2015 with a total capital of more than 402 billion VND. The project scale is to expand the road surface from 7m to 30m. After more than 10 years, the project has not yet been completed, creating "bottleneck" due to some uncleared houses at the turn into the new Mien Dong Bus Station.
Notably, on February 28th, Rach Chiec Traffic Police Team coordinated to handle road traffic violations against the investor of this project. The reason is that the construction unit gathered concrete blocks, sidewalk covers, and manhole covers rampant on the sidewalk, obstructing walkways and causing traffic unsafety.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the project construction volume is currently about 85%. The main reason for the delay is obstacles in compensation and site clearance. Currently, the investor has received land from 140/145 cases (reaching 96.5%).
Local representatives committed to completing the entire site clearance in the third quarter of 2026. After having enough clean ground, the construction unit will focus manpower to strive to complete the project in 2026.
This delay not only causes hardship for people but also reduces the connectivity efficiency of surrounding projects. Currently, the access road to the new Mien Dong Bus Station still lacks a lighting system, causing passengers to travel with many obstacles at night. The early completion of this route is expected to "rescue" the country's largest bus station from the desolate scene and promote the economy of the eastern gateway area of the city.
