Ninh Bình: Unblocking bottlenecks in major transport infrastructure projects to meet 2026–2028 completion targets

Major transport projects in Ninh Bình—totaling investments in the trillions of đồng—are facing bottlenecks driven by prolonged land clearance, a shortage of fill sand, and delays in resettlement. Provincial Vice Chairman Nguyen Cao Son urged local authorities and project owners to take the lead on infrastructure delivery and prevent a small number of households from stalling overall progress.

Key projects stalled by land clearance and resettlement delays

Ý Yên district road project (363.5 billion VND)

The road linking the left bank of the Day River to road 57B in Ý Yên district has reached about 75% of construction. On the 5.6 km main section, the contractor has laid nearly 4 km of asphalt concrete. However, the project is stalled because only 284 meters of land remain to be cleared in the Yen Hong and old Yen Bang areas, with 14 households not yet handing over land. Of these, 9 households are awaiting resettlement at OM9.

The project management board proposed that Ý Yên district take the lead as the investor for resettlement infrastructure, aiming to complete the project by 30 September 2026.

Hai Hậu central axis road (741.8 billion VND)

The 4.2 km central axis road of Hai Hậu connects National Route 21 to the head of the Yen Dinh bridge. Phase 1 construction has reached 60%, while the roadbed and subbase have achieved 65–85%. Despite compensation being paid to 390 households, the project is stalled by exactly two households: one refused compensation for a house along the road in Hai Hậu commune, and another requested resettlement land in Xuân Trường commune.

T4 axis project (nearly 4,000 billion VND)

The T4 axis project, nearly 4,000 billion VND, is designed as a 6-lane route with a 54 m right-of-way and a 16 km length through four communes. The project is at a standstill because the transfer of project ownership from the Urban Development Management Board to the Provincial Land Development Center has not been completed. As a result, there is no legal basis to reclaim 117.58 ha of land, even though milestones have been marked and 41 hamlets have completed public consultations.

Fill sand shortages emerging as a bottleneck

Scarce fill sand is also constraining progress. For the Ý Yên project, sand shortages are affecting embankment and base fill. For the Hai Hậu project, although 65–85% of fill has been completed, the remaining work depends largely on external supply with volatile prices. For the T4 axis, sand demand is in the millions of cubic meters, and without a long-term supply plan, the risk of disruption is high.

Vice Chairman Nguyen Cao Son urged project owners to forecast monthly sand needs and consider substitutes such as hill soil, manufactured sand from crushed rock, and dredged canal sediment to reduce dependence on natural sand.

Vice Chairman Nguyen Cao Son’s proposed actions

1) Resettlement first, with infrastructure completed ahead of land acquisition

Under the principle of ensuring the best for affected people, infrastructure in five resettlement areas must proceed first. Roads, electricity, and water should be completed before land acquisition. The Finance Department is tasked with allocating funds within the week. Cemetery relocation should be scheduled appropriately, such as during the Thanh Minh period.

2) Enforcement for non-compliant households

For households that have been fully informed of policies but deliberately do not comply, local authorities should review the records and enforce accordingly, rather than allowing a small number of households to hinder progress. The investor should also select contractors with proven capacity.

3) Funding and technical coordination, with a 2026 land-recovery timeline

The 2026 public investment plan needs timely supplementation, including 1,113 billion VND for land clearance for the T4 axis. New projects should involve the responsible infrastructure managers (electricity, water, and telecom) from the implementation stage to avoid impediments after handover.

Key timeline targets include:

• Complete land-recovery notices by April 2026.
• Reclaim agricultural land and hand it to the contractor by June 2026.
• Complete residential land clearance by 31 December 2026.

The overall goal is to complete the main vertical axes, including T4, by 2028.