The project to upgrade and renovate DT601 road began in May 2020 and was scheduled for completion in September 2021. Costing more than VND720 billion (US$29 million) in public funds it was to be carried out on a 35-km stretch of road through three communes in the city of Da Nang's Hoa Vang District.
But where the work remains undone, much of the road is now just puddles and mud.
Commuters have to struggle with potholes to get through the street, and with Da Nang now in the rainy season, stagnant water haunts sections of the road.
Nguyen Minh Huy, Director of the Da Nang Management Board of Traffic Construction Investment Projects, said nearly 34 km of the road has been upgraded, but there are currently seven sections, with a total length of more than one kilometer, which are stuck in site clearance negotiations.
He said in most cases, the affected families are not satisfied with the compensation offered and have refused to move or hand over the land needed for the project.
A man rides a tricycle on the road where a contractor has placed construction materials and equipment while waiting for a clear site to start work.
An intersection in Hoa Lien Commune is now full of mud.
Construction work has been stuck here as two families have refused to move and make way for the project.
A schoolgirl rides a bicycle through the street.
During several recent heavy rains in the city, this section was left 0.5-0.8 m under water and local authorities had to ban people from moving through it to ensure safety.
"It is the children who must struggle the most. Recently there was one kid who stumbled and fell but luckily there was no serious injury," said a local named Cong, who lives on this section of the street.
According to the project management board, a sewer system has not yet been installed along the road, so water cannot be drained from this section.
At some sections where work remains unfinished, locals have deliberately turned the construction site into a dumping ground.
Around 500 m away, a section of 200 m near Hoa Bac Commune is also filled with potholes, stagnant water and mud.
An affected family put up a sign that says they have not received compensation land as promised and therefore they disagree to hand over the land to upgrade the street.
Water floods the street in front of the center on Tuesday morning.
"My house is 1 m higher than the street but is still at risk of getting flooded when it rains heavily," said a woman named Hoa who lives across from the center.
