Acceleration at the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway construction site after the Tet holiday

Returning to the construction site from the early spring days

At 5 am, when the mist was still covering the hillside along the expressway, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (35 years old, from Phu Tho) was present at the construction site of Km209 section, belonging to package XL2. After 9 days of returning to his hometown to celebrate Tet with his family, he returned to his familiar job - driving a vibratory roller weighing tens of tons to reinforce the roadbed.

After Tet, I leave immediately. The youngest daughter keeps following and asking when her father will return. But the project is entering an important stage, taking a long break will affect the overall progress," Mr. Hung said, still skillfully checking the technical parameters before operating the machine.

Mr. Hung said that he has been attached to the project since the early days of construction. From undulating hills, weak soil foundations, to now many sections of the route have been leveled, graded and started asphalting. Every time he returns after the holiday, he realizes that the construction site changes every day.

There are sections that were red soil before Tet, now they have become flat roadbeds. Building the project is really hard, but looking at the road gradually becoming clear, everyone feels proud," he shared.

According to records in the last days of February, on the entire Km123+080 – Km244+155 route, the construction atmosphere has become bustling again. Vehicles are still circulating on the two existing lanes, next to which are long barriers, flashing warning lights and continuous machinery operation, creating the image of an open construction site that is both under construction and ensuring traffic safety.

Each worker group quickly entered their positions. Some operated rollers, some spread crushed stone grades, and some checked the height. All maintained the construction rhythm day and night according to the motto "3 shifts, 4 crews".

Keeping the construction pace at key items

The Yen Bai - Lao Cai section expansion project of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway has a total investment of nearly 7,700 billion VND, invested by Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC). To date, the total output of the entire project has reached more than 533 billion VND, equivalent to 10.12% of the contract value, exceeding the general progress by 5.58%.

Mr. Dao Quang Tuan - Director of the Northern Expressway Project Management Board - said that immediately after the Tet holiday, contractors simultaneously resumed construction.

We request units to review the progress daily, update details of each construction site to promptly adjust. This is a project that is both constructed and exploited, so the progress must go hand in hand with safety," Mr. Tuan said.

At package XL1 (Km123+080 – Km190+420), more than 270 equipment and hundreds of workers were mobilized. In which, Dai Viet road tunnel at Km186+500 is an important item, deciding the progress of the entire route.

Inside the tunnel entrance, engineer Phung Quoc Tue and the worker team still maintain a continuous construction rhythm. Construction lights shine on the cliffs that have just been reinforced with sprayed concrete.

Last Tet, many brothers only took a few days off and then returned. The tunnel item cannot be interrupted for long because it will affect the entire progress," engineer Tue said.

To date, the Hanoi direction has drilled more than 30m, the Lao Cai direction has reached 45m, totaling 11m beyond the plan.

Meanwhile, according to Mr. Pham Dang Giap - Site Commander of the Km209 - Km223 section, the roadbed is basically completed, and units are moving to construct the road surface layer and bridge and culvert items.

After the first layer of asphalt concrete, we will continue to pave the finishing layers to ensure the quality and durability of the project," Mr. Giap informed.