"Behind me is a large project"
At the XL-03 package through Van Ban commune, Lao Cai province, under the dry sunshine of late autumn, Mr. Nguyen Huu Binh - the officer in charge and his brothers diligently checked the tightness of each layer of roadbed.
"Making roads in mountainous areas is not simple. We must understand each cluster of land and each stream to choose the right construction time, said Mr. Binh, holding the pressure gauge.
According to Mr. Binh, there were days when it rained heavily, so the brothers still had to go out to check because they were afraid of the erosion.There was a cold night of 15 degrees, the workers still worked, just hoping to keep up with the progress.
Not far away, at the XL-02 package construction site, the sound of the engine echoed continuously in the middle of Duong Quy valley.The group of workers includes Pham Ba Hai (warehouse manager), Nguyen Van Cau (line driver), Phan Van Toan (car driver), Mai Xuan Hoa (excavator driver), Do Ngoc Tuan (lizard driver), Tran The Phuong (roller driver) - considered the "golden drivers" of the project.
Mr. Hai jokingly said: "My treasure is not only materials but also faith. Each snail, each liter of oil out of the warehouse is a part of the progress.
Nguyen Van Cau - who has been in the profession for 20 years shared: "Just need to hear the engine sound to know if the engine has a problem. The mountainous road is winding, steep, and dangerous to steer. But everyone is steadfast, because they know that behind them is a big project".
Without banners or huge slogans, their emulation reward is that every meter of road is completed, every corner is wide. Currently, the XL-02 package has reached nearly 75% of the construction value, while the XL-03 package has reached more than 80% of the volume, nearly a month ahead of schedule.
Imprints from the patriotic emulation movement
At the starting point of the project (pmL-01 package), engineer Nguyen Ngoc Quan was still diligently measuring and inspecting the standards. "Construction in mountainous areas is completely different from the plains - every time it rains, it slides, and every time it is sunny, it cracks. Working here requires learning how to listen to dirt and rocks. We consider this the project of our life. Later, the children and grandchildren passing through this road, seeing their names on the emulation gold board of the project were very proud, said Mr. Quan.
According to the leader of Project Management Board 2 (Ministry of Construction), the route connecting Lai Chau with Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway starts at IC16 intersection (Bao Ha commune, Lao Cai), ends at Km34+800 National Highway 4D (Lai Chau province), with a total length of about 147.1km, the scale of a grade III mountainous road.
The entire project is nearly 200km long, with a total investment of more than VND6,000 billion, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Australian Government, striving to open the route before December 31, 2025.
The project has been implemented in the 9/11 package and is removing obstacles to site clearance, especially the section passing through Mo Vang, Son Luong, Lien Son communes in Lao Cai province to keep up with the progress.
In the context of harsh terrain and harsh weather, the patriotic emulation movement is a great source of encouragement for hundreds of engineers and workers to stay at the construction site. We launched the slogan "High working days, large output, absolute safety", taking efficiency, quality and sense of responsibility as emulation measures", said Mr. Vu Tuan Khanh, representative of Project Management Board 2.
In particular, each package has its own movement: Package 3 with the slogan "Cleaning the route, ensuring aesthetics"; Package 2 sets out "5 no's": No delays, no deviations, no waste, no accidents, no delays; Package 1 launches "Effective, safe, economical working week".
Those simple but powerful slogans have turned each worker into a Soldier on the labor front.
When the sunset fell on Hoang Lien Son range, the construction site lights were still shining on the red ground. The sound of the bamboo shoots rang like a guiding drum, the rolling cakes were like the heartbeat of the craftsmen.
Standing on the embankment, worker Le Van Hung gently said: "There is fatigue, but there is more joy. I am contributing to connecting remote mountainous villages - that is an incomparable pride.
