Sand shortages halt work for months
The project to build the section of DT.857 between National Highway 30 and DT.845 is nearly 45 km long and has an investment of VND 1.746 trillion. It passes through several communes in Dong Thap province and is facing shortages of construction materials.
The project is expected to complete the transport network, improve connections between localities and support socio-economic development in the province and the Dong Thap Muoi subregion.
As of October 9, 2026, the project had completed 66.1% of its total work value, below the required plan.
According to the Dong Thap Department of Construction, one of the main causes is an insufficient supply of embankment sand. The project needs about 2.6 million cubic meters of sand, but securing the material has repeatedly run into difficulties.
From 2022 through the end of 2023, commercial sand-mining licenses in Dong Thap that had supplied construction projects expired. In 2023, the province extended 13 licenses through December 31, 2023, to serve key public-investment projects, including DT.857. Because supply was limited, the available embankment sand met about 32% of demand.
From early 2024 through the end of May 2025, the project could barely carry out earthwork because of the sand shortage. During that period, sand extracted in the province mainly went to expressway projects under a special mechanism. Commercial sand was also scarce, while neighboring localities prioritized materials for their own major projects.
Importing sand from Cambodia was difficult because of the price. Near buoy No. 0 at the Thuong Phuoc international border gate, sand cost about VND 180,000 per cubic meter, while the price in the signed contract was VND 60,000. The gap made it difficult for the contractor to secure a reliable supply.
Allocating sand and searching for rock
On June 3, 2025, the Dong Thap provincial People's Committee agreed to allocate sand from two mines for key public-investment projects. Under the plan, DT.857 would receive 559,098 cubic meters of sand in 2025 and was expected to receive the remaining volume, about 1.1 million cubic meters, in 2026 to complete the project. Contractors are now working to receive the allocated sand and carry out construction.
Road-surface rock has also been difficult to obtain. Crushed-stone mixtures, 4x6 stone and stone for asphalt surface treatment are mostly being prioritized for expressways and other major projects in the southeastern region. Contractors approached several quarries in An Giang and tested samples, but the results did not meet strength requirements, adding to the difficulty of finding an alternative supply.
While material supplies have not been fully restored, the contract periods for the work packages have already expired. Package No. 13 expired on August 30, 2026, and the other packages expired on September 30, 2026.
The Dong Thap Department of Construction has submitted a proposal to the provincial People's Committee to extend the construction contracts through December 31, 2026. The extension would provide a legal basis for continuing construction and paying for completed work.
Under the plan, the province and related agencies are working to resolve the obstacles and aim to complete the project in 2027.
Sources: Thanh Niên
