The first phase of the 188.2 km Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway project, with a total investment of nearly 45,000 billion VND, is divided into four sub-projects. After two years of construction, the overall progress has reached approximately 45%. Sub-projects 1 and 3 are generally on track, while sub-projects 2 and 4 are lagging 5-9% behind schedule.

Construction of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway section through Can Tho City. Photo: An Binh

Construction of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway section through Can Tho City. Photo: An Binh

Under the Prime Minister's direction, localities have licensed the exploitation of 26.8 million cubic meters of sand, essentially meeting the project's total demand of 28.9 million cubic meters. However, the actual extraction rate has not kept pace with the construction schedule.

To date, only 46 out of 141 km (33%) of the roadbed preloading has been completed. The project requires 395,400 cubic meters of sand daily, but the actual supply is only 52,200 cubic meters (13%).

Meanwhile, bridge construction is progressing as planned and is expected to be largely completed by December 2025.

According to the National Assembly's resolution, the expressway's roadbed must be completed by August 2026 at the latest (preloading finished by August 2025 and a 12-month settlement period). However, the Prime Minister has requested an accelerated schedule, aiming for completion of the An Giang section by 19/12/2025 and the entire route by 30/4/2026.

To meet this demand, the Ministry of Construction has requested provinces with sand resources, such as Dong Thap, An Giang, and Can Tho, to continue surveying and identifying additional sources to address the shortfall. Concurrently, the managing agencies (Can Tho City and An Giang province) need to adjust the soft ground treatment design to shorten the preloading time and expedite road construction.

Construction of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway section through the former Soc Trang province. Photo: An Binh

Construction of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway section through the former Soc Trang province. Photo: An Binh

Nguyen Van Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People's Committee, proposed transferring sand from the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway project (which currently has sufficient supply) to the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang project, and maximizing the use of materials from the former Soc Trang province.

Sub-project 4, the most delayed, has been granted permits for 9 sand mines with a total reserve of nearly 9 million cubic meters, but only slightly over 2.2 million cubic meters have been extracted. "The permitted daily capacity is 25,000 cubic meters, but the actual output is only 10,000-11,000 cubic meters (40-43%)," said Ngo Thai Chan, Director of Can Tho's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. At this rate, the supply by the end of this year will reach a maximum of 3.28 million cubic meters, against a total demand of 8 million cubic meters.

Mining companies attribute the slow extraction to the thin sand layer and high mud content, which increase costs and time.

Tran Van Lau, Chairman of the Can Tho People's Committee, believes that besides the objective reason of sand mine locations, the delays also stem from subjective factors in the management and administration by departments and a lack of decisive action by investors.

"Progress this year has been sluggish. With closer monitoring, we should have achieved at least 60-70%. There's no reason for these stoppages. If there are intentional delays, the city will direct inspectors and the police to investigate and hold those responsible accountable," Lau stated.

Can Tho's leader requested a thorough review of contractors' capabilities to prevent situations where mines are awarded but not exploited, or where equipment is substandard. Underperforming units should be replaced with more capable contractors.

He also urged relevant units to expedite procedures, equipment, and registration for sea sand exploitation. For river sand mines, if conditions are met, capacities should be boldly increased. "The remaining time is very short, we can't afford further delays," he emphasized.

Route of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway. Graphic: Thanh Huyen

Route of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway. Graphic: Thanh Huyen

The Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway starts at National Highway 91 (Chau Doc, An Giang) and ends at Tran De port (formerly Soc Trang, now part of Can Tho City).

The first phase of the project will construct 4 lanes with a roadbed width of 17 meters and a design speed of 100 km/h. Upon completion, it will be expanded to 6 lanes with a roadbed width of over 32 meters. The expressway is expected to significantly reduce travel time between provinces in the Mekong Delta, provide faster connections to major seaports, and boost regional economic development.

An Binh