To overcome a severe sand shortage and keep the Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang expressway on schedule, project managers have approved the use of 2 million cubic meters of sea sand — a move aligned with national technical standards and environmental safeguards.
The Can Tho City Investment and Construction Project Management Board for Transportation and Agriculture has agreed to use 2 million cubic meters of sea sand for the Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang expressway project, according to information released on January 12.
Le Minh Cuong, Director of the Project Management Board and investor for Component Projects 2, 3, and 4 for the Phase 1, said the decision aims to address the ongoing shortage of fill material and ensure timely progress on the project. The approval specifically applies to Component Project 4 of the expressway.
Director Le Minh Cuong explained that using sea sand is both practical and compliant with existing regulations. The material has already been successfully used on the Can Tho – Ca Mau expressway, and the Ministry of Construction has issued technical standards for using sea sand in road embankments. These standards ensure the material’s legal validity, quality, and environmental safety.
To mitigate environmental risks, Director Le Minh Cuong emphasized that contractors must only use sea sand for the upper layer of geotextile wick drains and transport it to the construction site by truck, rather than by pumping. While the sand extraction process involves several stages including pumping, transferring, and desalination, the final delivery must be done by truck to prevent saline leakage into surrounding agricultural and aquaculture areas.
The main remaining challenge involves determining transportation costs. The Project Management Board is awaiting official sea freight rates from the Ministry of Construction, as only river freight rates are currently available. In the meantime, temporary payments will be made to contractors to maintain project momentum.
According to Director Le Minh Cuong, the combined use of sea sand and river sand has helped ease material shortages, which had previously delayed progress. Currently, Components 2, 3, and 4 have achieved about 50 percent of their contract value but still face a shortfall of approximately 4 million cubic meters of sand — the primary cause of the delay.
To secure sufficient supply, the Project Management Board has completed the necessary procedures and begun extracting 700,000 cubic meters of sand to support the project’s horizontal axis. This sand was initially allocated to the Can Tho – Ca Mau expressway, scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.
Additionally, Can Tho City has requested the Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee to provide another 500,000 cubic meters of sand from the vertical axis under the special project mechanism. The city has also worked with Vinh Long Province, which has approved a contribution of over 2 million cubic meters of sand, with extraction expected to begin by the end of January.
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