The Ministry of Construction requires the project management boards to focus on decisively implementing solutions to meet the directed timelines.
A part of the eastern section of the North-South Expressway. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Khánh
In a push to keep major national infrastructure on track, the Ministry of Construction (MoC) has urged project management boards to urgently accelerate the deployment of intelligent transport systems (ITS), non-stop electronic toll collection and vehicle overload control.
The work covers the eastern section of the North-South Expressway projects for the 2017–20 phase and the 2021–25 phase.
According to the MoC, despite issuing numerous directives in recent times and ministry leaders personally organising review meetings to address difficulties and obstacles, progress at many projects remains slow.
Deadlines set under instructions have been repeatedly missed, affecting the synchronised operation plan and toll collection across the entire route.
For the five component projects in the 2017–20 phase, including Mai Sơn – National Highway 45, National Highway 45 – Nghi Sơn, Nghi Sơn – Diễn Châu, Vĩnh Hảo – Phan Thiết and Phan Thiết – Dầu Giây, the MoC states that numerous tasks remain incomplete, directly impacting the trial operation timeline for the full ITS, tolling and overload control systems.
As of now, nine out of 12 component projects in the 2021–25 phase have yet to complete contractor selection for equipment supply. These include the sections Bãi Vọt – Hàm Nghi, Hàm Nghi – Vũng Áng, Vạn Ninh – Cam Lộ, Hoài Nhơn – Quy Nhơn, Quy Nhơn – Chí Thạnh, Chí Thạnh – Vân Phong, Vân Phong – Nha Trang, Cần Thơ – Hậu Giang and Hậu Giang – Cà Mau.
To promptly complete the systems in synchrony and organise toll collection across the entire eastern section of the North-South Expressway, the MoC requires project management boards to focus on decisively implementing solutions to meet directed timelines.
For the 2017–20 phase projects, Project Management Boards 2, 7, Thăng Long and railways are instructed to direct contractors to urgently complete remaining items, rectify technical shortcomings and prepare for trial system operation.
Additionally, they must install number plate recognition cameras at vehicle turnaround points after the weigh-in-motion systems, connect them to the tolling system to perfect the toll collection solution and complete optical fibre cable protection along the route.
The MoC assigns Project Management Board 7 to coordinate with Boards 2, Thăng Long and railways to finalise data transmission connections, integrate toll stations across the five projects, conduct trial tolling operations to evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs) and report to the MoC as a basis for deciding the official tolling start date.
Project Management Board Thăng Long must urgently finalise ITS software installation, fully integrate management modules at traffic control centres along the route and ensure conditions are met for full system trial operation.
Regarding operations management and toll collection organisation, the MoC requires Project Management Boards 2, 7, Thăng Long and railways to lead, in coordination with the Department for Roads of Việt Nam (DRVN), system trials, KPI evaluations and reporting to the MoC on the official tolling implementation date for each 2017–20 component project.
Concurrently, the DRVN is responsible for independent inspections and evaluations, coordinating handovers and bringing ITS systems, toll stations and overload control facilities into operation when conditions are met in line with regulations, while also handling related communications on operations and tolling.
For the 2021–25 component projects, the MoC requires Project Management Boards 2, 7, 85, Thăng Long, railways, Hồ Chí Minh Road and Mỹ Thuận to strictly implement MoC leadership directives, ensuring official tolling deployment from March 1 thisyear.
The MoC emphasises that project management boards will be held fully accountable to the Minister of Construction if delays continue, affecting the overall progress of the North-South Expressway.