At the Bình Phước point of contact, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Lê Trường Sơn chaired the meeting, with participation from leaders of relevant departments, sectors, and localities.

At the Đắk Nông point, authorized by the Provincial People’s Committee, Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Construction Phan Nhật Thanh chaired the meeting. Also in attendance were leaders of departments, sectors, localities, and relevant units.

The delegates attended the meeting at Đắk Nông 

The Gia Nghĩa (Đắk Nông) - Chơn Thành (Bình Phước) section of the Western North-South Expressway is over 124 km long, passing through both provinces. The preliminary total investment is approximately 25.9 trillion VND.

The project is divided into five component sub-projects. Among them, the Bình Phước Provincial People’s Committee is the investor of Component Project 1 – construction of the expressway – with a total cost of over 19.6 trillion VND.

The two provinces are each responsible for sub-projects related to feeder road construction and compensation, resettlement in their respective areas.

Component Project 1 was approved by the Prime Minister on April 28, 2025. Bình Phước authorities are working to complete necessary procedures to commence construction on August 19, 2025.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Đắk R’lấp District, Nguyễn Quang Tứ, reported on the progress of the site clearance for the expressway project

Bình Phước is also implementing two other component projects related to feeder roads and resettlement. According to its departments and sectors, these projects currently face no major issues.

In Đắk Nông, the province has approved the feasibility report for Component Project 2 related to feeder road construction and commenced one contract package in April 2025.

However, the sub-project for site clearance has yet to be appraised and submitted for approval due to adjustments in investment capital to comply with current regulations.

Director of the Dak Nong Provincial Project Management Board for Construction Investment, Hà Sỹ Sơn, proposed solutions to address issues related to the expressway's disposal sites

Đắk Nông has calculated that local construction materials can basically meet the needs of the expressway. Earthworks will be managed through internal coordination. The project will require around 1.07 million cubic meters of stone and over 210,000 cubic meters of sand.

The expressway section running through Đắk Nông is over 23 km long, with about 19.5 km intersecting two bauxite mining zones with approved reserves. There are two fill-material mines and five disposal sites within the bauxite mineral planning area.

Đắk Nông authorities have requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to provide guidance to the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) on environmental restoration in permitted areas.

In unlicensed bauxite planning areas, Đắk Nông proposed not to recover the land but instead use the soil for excavation and internal project coordination.

Deputy Director of the Dak Nong Department of Agriculture and Environment, Võ Văn Minh, reported on the overlap between the expressway route and the planned bauxite mining areas

According to the province’s departments, the construction sector is currently facing challenges due to a sharp increase in construction sand prices in mid-May 2025. Additionally, there is uncertainty due to the lack of guidance on reclaiming bauxite land outside approved areas.

The expressway runs through Đắk R’lấp District, and the estimated investment for site clearance may exceed the budget approved by competent authorities. These are significant challenges that could impact project implementation.

Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Dak Nong Department of Construction, Phan Nhat Thanh, expressed the desire for active coordination to accelerate the implementation of the Gia Nghia – Chon Thanh Expressway project

At the meeting, Director of Đắk Nông’s Construction Project Management Unit Hà Sỹ Sơn proposed solutions for handling expressway disposal sites, while Deputy Director of Đắk Nông’s Department of Agriculture and Environment Võ Văn Minh reported on the overlapping of the expressway with bauxite planning areas.

Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Construction Phan Nhật Thanh emphasized the importance of close coordination to ensure the expressway project moves forward as planned.

Vice Chairman of the Bình Phước People’s Committee Lê Trường Sơn requested relevant departments and sectors to report on actual progress and challenges faced.

He acknowledged the input from Đắk Nông’s agencies and noted that, while the current progress is on track, some unresolved issues could cause delays. In particular, Bình Phước places special emphasis on site clearance efforts.

Following this meeting, the two provinces will coordinate closely to resolve arising issues to ensure the project breaks ground as scheduled (Component Project 1 is expected to commence on August 19).

Relevant agencies and localities must closely monitor progress and promptly report emerging issues to provincial leaders for timely resolution and next steps.

According to Đắk Nông Online Newspaper