State Audit calls on Nghệ An to review total investment and unit investment costs for the Vinh–Thanh Thủy highway project after audit findings

State Audit has requested Nghệ An province to coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to review the total investment and unit investment cost for the Vinh–Thanh Thủy expressway project. Nghệ An province has sent a formal letter to the Department of Construction and the Management Board of the Nghệ An Traffic Infrastructure Project to re-examine the preliminary total investment and unit investment cost. This move follows a letter from the State Audit Office asking Nghệ An to review the project contents with the Ministry of Construction. The Vinh–Thanh Thủy expressway has a total investment of nearly 24,000 billion VND. It is regarded as a strategic route that will open up comprehensive development opportunities for Nghệ An and the North Central region by connecting to Laos. From the investment-preparation stage, the project has set strict requirements to ensure savings and efficiency. According to the State Audit Office’s letter to Nghệ An, the project still has several issues from the stage of establishing the preliminary total investment and the investment cost. Specifically, the design plans for some sections (deep excavation, elevated embankments) require a six-lane standard. However, traffic forecasts indicate that the need for expansion is only truly necessary around 2050. In addition, the mid-stage preliminary total-investment calculations and the drawings have not yet been harmonized. The drawing set lacks a preliminary overall arrangement for many bridges, so there is no basis to determine pillar heights or apply appropriate unit prices. The State Audit Office also notes that some bridges in the project are calculated with higher unit costs than the investment norms in the Construction Ministry’s Decision 409 (2025). Applying bridge unit costs from other projects lacks a clear basis; different unit prices are used, and there is no detailed justification, leading to potential inconsistencies. Other discrepancies pointed out include: determining the tunnel time coefficient using the bridge’s time coefficient without justification; safety-cost weighting for the road portion below regulatory requirements; arithmetic errors in cost calculations. In response to the State Audit Office’s findings, Nghệ An immediate instructed the Traffic Infrastructure Project Management Board to collaborate with the consulting unit to verify and supplement the bases and rationale for the total investment and investment costs, ensuring accuracy and compliance with the law. They also emphasized completing the documentation to enable the next steps of the project to proceed, ensuring schedule and quality as required. Nghệ An province entrusted the Department of Construction to lead a comprehensive review and appraisal of all contents in line with the audit opinion; ensure project appraisal adheres to procedures and regulations, and supports efficiency and savings. Throughout implementation, management and strict control must be strengthened to prevent any losses or waste of state budget. The project, about 60 km long with a complete four-lane standard, passes through nine communes in Nghệ An. Some bridges and road sections are designed to a six-lane standard. The total investment is nearly 24,000 billion VND, divided into 10 component projects. The project is slated to start in 2026 and is expected to be completed in 2029. Source: Ngọc Tú, Tiền Phong