Accelerating site clearance for Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh Expressway

The Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh section of the North-South Western Expressway is a key national project. So far, the three communes of Nha Bich, Bu Dang, and Phuoc Son have completed site handover, while the remaining localities are focusing on resolving outstanding difficulties, accelerating compensation, support, and resettlement, and completing site handover.

Binh Phuoc Ward leaders direct agencies to assist residents in dismantling structures and handing over the site to the investor.

The Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh section of the North-South Western Expressway is 124.13km long, including more than 101km through Dong Nai City.

Removing obstacles to site clearance

The project requires more than 1,200ha of land to be acquired, including about 921ha in Dong Nai, or nearly 76% of the total land required for the entire route. The city is implementing three component projects: Component 1, covering expressway construction; Component 3, covering frontage roads and overpasses; and Component 5, covering compensation, support, resettlement, and site clearance.

The expressway runs more than 13.8km through Binh Phuoc Ward, where more than 131ha of land covering 927 parcels must be acquired. Of these, 860 parcels belong to organizations, households, and individuals, while 67 are land areas for roads, streams, and rivers.

Although the expressway section through Binh Phuoc Ward is shorter than that through Nghia Trung Commune, the ward has the largest number of land parcels to be acquired along the entire route.

Dao Dinh Chi, Vice Chairman of the Binh Phuoc Ward People's Committee, said the locality is focusing on compensation, support, and resettlement work, while stepping up communication and encouraging residents to cooperate and hand over land for the project. So far, the ward People's Committee has approved compensation, support, and resettlement plans for all 858 eligible land parcels, covering nearly 124ha. The total compensation, support, and resettlement costs are estimated at about VND909.8 billion.

To date, residents have agreed to hand over 524 land parcels covering more than 102ha, or 82.5% of the total area, equivalent to about 12km of the expressway route through the ward. The ward has paid VND739.5 billion in compensation.

To address remaining obstacles, the Binh Phuoc Ward Party Committee has formed teams to step up communication with residents and directly understand the concerns and aspirations of individual households. For households that officials have not yet reached, the locality has proactively reviewed the cases, contacted the households, and arranged meetings to explain the policies and encourage cooperation, gradually building consensus.

The project runs 13.2km through Tho Son Commune and requires more than 117.5ha of land, affecting 269 parcels. Of this, 4.84ha is land for streams and roads. Meanwhile, nearly 113ha belongs to organizations, households, and individuals, involving 133 households and individuals.

Tran Van Phuong, Chairman of the Tho Son Commune People's Committee, said that as of August 22, 131 households had agreed to hand over more than 111.6ha of land, equivalent to 98.7% of the area under the commune's authority. The commune People's Committee, in coordination with the Dong Nai Land Fund Development Center and its Bu Dang branch, has paid more than VND171 billion in compensation and support to residents. So far, the locality has handed over 87% of the expressway section within its area to the investor.

Residents settle into new homes as site clearance accelerates

Alongside efforts by local authorities, residents' support is playing an important role in accelerating site clearance. After receiving compensation, many households have proactively rebuilt their homes, settled into their new lives, and handed over their land for the project.

Dinh Minh Toan, a resident of Tien Hung 1 Quarter in Binh Phuoc Ward, said his house stood directly on the expressway centerline. As a result, the entire 120sq.m area had to be acquired and handed over for the project. After local authorities and relevant agencies explained the policy and encouraged his family to cooperate, he agreed to hand over the land. His family received compensation before the 2026 Lunar New Year and has since built a new home and stabilized their living conditions.

Toan's parents and siblings, who make up three other households, also had land acquired for the project. In support of the State's policy, the families have received compensation and moved into their new homes.

Also in Tien Hung 1 Quarter, Nguyen Thi Oanh's family had 82sq.m of land acquired for the project. Her flower shop, located on the road frontage, was entirely within the site clearance area. Although business was going well, Oanh agreed, after local authorities explained the project and encouraged her family to cooperate, to have the shop dismantled and the site handed over to the investor.

Duong Hoang Vu, an official from the Dong Nai City Construction Investment Project Management Board, said the investor has completed and submitted the dossier for adjustment to the project's pre-feasibility study report, proposing that the State budget cover 70% of the total investment.

Meanwhile, the component projects are also being implemented in parallel with site clearance. The Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh section of the North-South Western Expressway is strategically important to the development of Dong Nai City, the Central Highlands provinces, and the Southeastern region. Efforts by local authorities and relevant agencies to resolve compensation and site clearance issues, together with residents' support, are helping accelerate the project. Once completed, the expressway will become an important regional transport link.

The project has a total investment of about VND25.9 trillion. In the first phase, the expressway will be built with four full lanes and a roadbed width of 24.75m. The sections through Binh Phuoc and Dong Xoai wards will have a roadbed width of 25.5m.

By Q. Minh – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho