Under the Prime Minister’s directive, the Can Tho–Ca Mau, Chau Doc–Can Tho–Soc Trang and Cao Lanh–An Huu expressway projects are scheduled to open to traffic on the same day, December 19. However, with less than a week remaining, numerous sections are still unfinished, despite contractors working day and night.
Regarding the Can Tho–Ca Mau expressway, since mid-November 2025, CIENCO 4 Group Joint Stock Company, the contractor for the project, has mobilized more than 100 additional engineers and workers to its construction packages; however, many items along the Hau Giang–Ca Mau section remain unfinished. Several stretches remain without crushed stone base layers or asphalt surfacing, while dozens of bridges along the main route have not yet been fitted with expansion joints.
According to observations by Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper reporters, during recent days, the construction sites remain busy from dawn to late at night, with heavy machinery operating continuously.
Mr. Pham Xuan Nam, Deputy General Director of CIENCO4, said that the crushed stone base has basically been completed along the entire 64.3-kilometer main section of the Can Tho–Ca Mau Expressway, the Hau Giang–Ca Mau stretch.
Contractors are now rushing to complete asphalt paving, expected to finish by December 15, with traffic safety systems and road markings to be completed by December 18, aiming to bring the project to the finish line on schedule as directed by the Prime Minister.
The construction on Component Project 1 of the Cao Lanh–An Huu expressway is also in its final phase, with more than 300 workers on site. Local authorities say about 30 percent of the workload remains, mainly due to shortages of 300,000 cubic meters of construction stone, although replacement supplies have now been secured.
Although the opening deadline is very close and the remaining workload is substantial, the contractor commits to completing the project on schedule, ensuring quality and aesthetics, with no violations or shortcomings, said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong, the supervising consultant for the Cao Lanh–An Huu Expressway project.
In response, Dong Thap Province has urgently worked with An Giang Province and has now secured additional stone supplies. As of now, Dong Thap has also disbursed 100 percent of the project’s investment capital. Despite many difficulties, the province is committed to completing the project and opening it to traffic on December 19.
Leaders of the An Giang Provincial Project Management Board reported that overall construction output for Component Project 1 of the Chau Doc–Can Tho–Soc Trang expressway’s Phase 1 has reached 67.2 percent, equivalent to about VND5,638 billion (US$214 million) in completed value. Contractors are currently rushing to carry out sand embankment filling, roadbed compaction along the main route, and slope construction, committing to completion by December 19.
However, based on SGGP reporters’ observations during a site inspection with An Giang provincial authorities on December 3, the project is unlikely to reach the finish line as planned, as a large volume of work remains. Many sections have yet to receive crushed stone layers, and machinery lies idle without construction.
The main bottleneck across the region is a severe shortage of construction sand. Environmental authorities report declining sand reserves and lower quality in many downstream river areas, forcing delays and raising costs. As a result, some expressway sections are now expected to be postponed until 2026.
