To ensure the progress of national key projects, the management board and construction contractors must improve epidemic prevention measures, apply “3 on the spot” and limit movement.
The Covid-19 epidemic made the way home for workers on the construction site of the Mai Son – National Highway 45 expressway project become farther. However, more than 1,500 workers are still trying to break the mountain and open the tunnel to bring the project to the finish line on schedule.
Whenever the tunnel is through then we feel secure to ask for permission to return home.
In the early days of November 2021, the Covid-19 epidemic showed signs of complications again in many localities, including Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh. However, at the construction site of Thung Thi tunnel under package XL12 of Mai Son – NH45 expressway project, there were still busy lines of vehicles transporting materials. Each group of workers hurriedly changed shifts to serve the key blasting and tunneling work.
Overview of construction of two branches of Thung Thi tunnel under package XL12 of Mai Son – National Highway 45 project
“From February 2021 to now, more than 300 workers here have to perform “3 on the spot”, completely isolated from the outside”, said Le Tien Thanh, the engineer in charge of construction of Thung Thi tunnel under Deo Ca Group opened the story about the series of days of breaking mountains and opening tunnels before the complicated developments of the epidemic.
According to Mr. Thanh, workers at Thung Thi tunnel were maintained 24/7 with 3 continuous working shifts (6am – 2pm, 2pm – 10pm, 10pm – 6am), regardless of day or night, rain or shine, epidemic disease or not.
Over the past 10 months, although the workers’ lives were affected, they could not go home for a long time, but with the encouragement of the contractor, the site commander, everyone still retained their enthusiasm, the work of opening the tunnel has not stopped for a single day.
“I haven’t left the construction site for eight months, my wife in my hometown is taking care of three children. I love my wife and my children but if I accidentally contact F0, F1 when I return home, It will adversely affect the project site. Maybe whenever the tunnel is clear, I will dare to ask permission to visit my wife and children,” Mr. Thanh said and added: This is the key construction point of the package with the complexity of the diameter (15m) being larger than the tunnels Cu Mong, Deo Ca, Hai Van have constructed (12m).
Not only Thung Thi tunnel, in the past 4 months, nearly 100 officers and workers of package XL10 also worked “3 on the spot” to ensure that “the vehicle is not in the parking lot, the materials are not in stock, the machine does not stop, the workload and disbursement schedule must increase day by day”.
A female laboratory worker named Hoang Phuong Loan shared that this is the first long business trip in her life even though her home is less than 20km from the construction site. Ms. Loan said that normally she would return home every day, but since the epidemic was complicated, for nearly 3 months, she had to live at the construction site.
Her husband went to work in Soc Trang, their 5-year-old child had to leave the arms of his parents to live with his grandparents.
“Thinking of our children, tears are waiting in the corners of our eyes, but for the sake of work, we all have to make efforts and sacrifice our personal interests,” Loan shared.
Sticking with the construction site of package No.10 Mai Son Expressway – National Highway 45 from February 2021 to now, driver Nguyen Ngoc Linh said that in the past 4 months, he had to do “3 on the spot” in his life. There were many changes when he returned to his wife and children and he couldn’t go home once a month as usual.
“My nephew just got married, but I couldn’t go home to congratulate him,” I could only made a video call with an apology,” Linh confided.
Continuously maintaining more than 1,500 people at the construction site
The section of the Mai Son – National Highway 45 expressway in the package
No.10-XL has been built through the epidemic, currently some sections are covered with base rock layers.
Talking to Traffic Newspaper, Mr. Dam Duc Ngoc, site commander of the 10th Mai Son expressway project – National Highway 45, said that among nearly 100 officials and workers, the number of workers living in Ninh Binh accounts for 40%. The remaining 60% come from many other provinces such as Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Hung Yen, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hai Phong…
Determining the maintenance and preservation of the workforce is decisive to the success – failure of the project, from mid-September 2021, all officials and employees have been vaccinated with 2 doses. Moreover, the construction site rules are tighter, requiring officials and workers to contact outsiders only in necessary cases.
“Daily meals are also more focused during the epidemic peak. Since the implementation of “3 on the spot”, the meal per person has increased to 35,000 VND / serving, an increase of 15,000 VND / person compared to before to ensure both physical and mental health of the employees”, Mr. Ngoc said.
Mr. Luong Van Long, Managing Director of Mai Son – National Highway 45 project, said that to ensure the progress of national key projects, the management board and construction contractors must improve epidemic prevention and apply “3 on the spot” as well as restrictions on movement.
The transport of supplies and materials brought from epidemic areas must be tested for Covid-19; During the loading and unloading process, the drivers absolutely are not allowed to get off the vehicle to limit the risk of exposure.
“Thanks to that, the number of officers, engineers and skilled workers in the project was guaranteed. The total number of workers of 5 project packages, 66 construction sites was always maintained from more than 1,500 people. Thanks to that, the project progress has ensured the plan, not being delayed despite the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, “Mr. Long informed.
According to Mr. Long, by the beginning of November 2021, the total output of the Mai Son – National Highway 45 expressway project was about VND 2,235 billion, reaching nearly 33% of the contract value. In 2021, the project is allocated a capital of about 2,936 billion VND (including site clearance and construction). In which, the site clearance has so far disbursed about VND 2,400 billion, reaching 85.5%, the construction and installation part has reached over 90% of the registered capital for 2021.
“It is expected that from now to the end of the year, the project will disburse more than 300 billion VND. With effective disease control and the support of the weather, surely the project capital registered with the Ministry of Transport will be fully disbursed in 2021″, Mr. Long affirmed.
