Updating the supply of sand materials for the construction of two North-South expressway component projects, the Can Tho - Ca Mau section, a representative of the My Thuan Project Management Board said that, up to now, the project has been allocated nearly 19 million m3 of river sand by localities (including 15 mines allocated under a special mechanism for contractors to exploit themselves and some mines currently operating designated to supply to the project) and 5.5 million m3 of sea sand in Soc Trang.

Contractors are mobilizing from the allocated mining areas with an average mobilization capacity of about 50,000m3/day. The total volume of sand mobilized to the project is about 10.6 million m3.

"The allocated reserves have met the project's needs. However, due to the limited capacity of river sand exploitation, sea sand is only used for a part of the route with a saline environment similar to the pilot area, so the daily sand mobilization only meets about 70% of the required progress," My Thuan Project Management Board informed.

According to the leader of My Thuan Project Management Board, to solve the remaining sand shortage, the unit has directed contractors to focus on mobilizing crushed stone aggregate for loading with an estimated volume of about 1.5 million m3, basically meeting a part of the remaining sand shortage that has not been mobilized in time.

To ensure sufficient material sources to complete the weak soil loading work in 2024, My Thuan Project Management Board and contractors are also actively working with localities to supplement new sand supplies and increase the exploitation capacity of existing mines.

"The biggest problem is the concern that sand mining will affect the environment, the riverbed and banks, and the increase in mine capacity is very limited. Currently, only the People's Committee of Dong Thap province has approved an increase in capacity for 2 mines, but it is not significant.

Contractors are completing procedures for one mine in Tien Giang with reserves of about 0.6 million m3 and two mines in Ben Tre with reserves of 2 million m3.

It is expected that sand mobilization to the construction site can be done before November 15, 2024," informed a representative of the My Thuan Project Management Board.