Dangerous hilly terrain
The 500kV line 3 circuit project from Quang Trach (Quang Binh) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen) passing through Ha Tinh province has a length of 141.52km - the longest among the provinces where the project passes through with 285 column foundation locations.
Of these, 178 column foundation locations pass through forest and forestry land. Most of the column foundation locations are located on hilltops, halfway up steep mountains, making it very difficult and dangerous to transport materials and organize construction.
Also because of the construction on hilly and mountainous terrain, in early May 2024, when it rained heavily, a landslide occurred at the construction workers' hut at column number 28 in Ky Lien ward (Ky Anh town), killing 3 people and injuring 4 others.
Fortunately, 11 other workers were able to escape, otherwise the number of casualties would have been much greater.
Standing on National Highway 1 through Ky Anh town and Ky Anh district, looking up at the seemingly vertical mountain range stretching to the West and seeing the 500kV power line 3, many people cannot help but wonder how they can get materials up there.
The answer is that they used "mountain-climbing" tractors to bring materials up the winding open roads to the construction site to reduce the steepness.
In mid-June 2024, while working at the location of electric pole No. 175 on a hill in Cam My commune, Cam Xuyen district, witnessing the crane winch carrying groups of 5-7 workers to the top of the electric pole at a height of 145m, they looked as small as birds, I could feel the danger in their work.
At the end of August, when the project was in its final days, I followed the working delegation of Party Central Committee member and President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang to report on the gift-giving and encouragement activities for workers at the construction site of the 500kV circuit 3 project in Ha Tinh.
Our convoy of high-chassis, powerful vehicles had to crawl slowly because the road was too steep to reach post number 40 halfway up the hill in Ky Thinh ward, Ky Anh town.
I asked to “ride” in a 7-seat Fortuner car of the Ha Tinh Provincial Federation of Labor to go up with the group. When we were near the pole, the slope was too steep, our car stopped as if it was about to slide down. Everyone in the car was panicked, their faces pale. Following the “order” of driver Lam, the 4 of us hurriedly got out of the car.
At that moment, our steps faltered because we were still trembling with fear. When we left the construction site and safely descended the mountain, we were relieved to have returned safely.
Extraordinary effort
Many days at the construction site of the 500kV line 3 project in Ha Tinh, witnessing technical staff and workers working in the fierce heat of summer, I saw everyone drenched in sweat, their skin sunburned and black, their eyes seemed to grow deeper over time due to the pressure of progress.
Mr. Bui Huy Hoang (37 years old, from Hoa Binh province), a worker at Song Da Construction and Service Joint Stock Company constructing electric pole No. 175, shared, “The prolonged heat and the pressure to meet the deadline are too terrible. Some of my colleagues and I got sick.”
According to Mr. Hoang, the schedule is so tight that in the morning they have to wake up at 5am, finish eating at 5:30am, go to the construction site, work until 11:30am and come back for lunch. In the afternoon they start working at 1:30pm and stop when it gets dark and they can no longer work.
“The hardest part for us is climbing up construction poles in the hot weather. The metal poles absorb heat, and when we sit on them, our bodies feel so hot that they burn,” Hoang confided.
Remember, at the peak period, Mr. Bui Xuan Thai - Deputy Head of Technical Department of Central Power Project Management Board informed that at the construction site of 500kV line 3 in Ha Tinh, there were about 1,500 engineers and workers of contractors participating in the construction.
In addition, about 500 people from the Electricity Corporation and the National Power Transmission Corporation supported the construction. In addition, every day, hundreds of local youth union members supported the site clearance work.
Construction lasted for more than half a year, many contractors' workers were unable to return home due to progress pressure, even though they missed their wives and children very much.
The "campaign" to accelerate the construction of the 500kV line 3 project with countless difficulties, hardships, and dangers has finally reached the day of completion and connection to the national grid.
On the day of the inauguration ceremony (August 29), at the online bridge in Ha Tinh, a group of about 20 workers who had worked at the construction site were invited to attend.
Worker Bui Duc Hau (42 years old, from Hoa Binh province) shared with a radiant face: "I am very proud to have contributed to the national key project of 500kV line 3 to help our country develop faster, become more modern and prosperous."
