A section of the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway project accros Bình Chánh District, HCM CIty. — Photo vnexpres.net
Officials have been told by the Ministry of Transport to finish land clearance for the ongoing Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway project, which has been delayed because of several problems.
Nguyen Ngoc Dong, deputy minister of Transport, said the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway (connecting Long An Province to Dong Nai Province) was lagging behind schedule due to difficulties in land clearance compensation in HCM City and Dong Nai Province.
For example, HCM City’s Binh Chanh has around 26 households that have not handed over their land, some of which have been caused by unresolved disputes. These families account for 2 per cent of the affected households.
In addition, the plan for relocation of electricity pylons has not been completed.
A part of the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway project. Its investor will work with Dong Nai Province and HCM City to ensure that land clearance is completed in June so the expressway can be finished in 2020. – VNA Photo Hoang Hai
Meanwhile, in Dong Nai, around 116 households have not handed over their land due to compensation procedures.
Nguyen Ngoc Dong told the Viet Nam Expressway Corporation, the project investor, to work with Dong Nai and HCM City to push for completion of land clearance and relocation of affected households so that land can be handed over to the company in June.
According to the investor, if the city hands over the remaining land needed for the project soon, around 20km of the project (from Ben Luc to Nha Be District’s Nguyen Van Tao intersection) could open for traffic in September, while the remaining part leading to Dong Nai could be completed in 2020.
However, if the land is not handed over in June, the project will not be finished by the end of 2020, as requested by the Ministry of Transport.
Begun in 2014, the VND31 trillion (US$1.3 billion) project, which is 57.7km long, traverses Long An, HCM City and Dong Nai. It is expected to reduce traffic congestion between the Mekong Delta and southeastern Viet Nam.
The project was originally planned to be finished in 2018, but it was delayed until 2020. Around 70 per cent has been completed. — VNS