The PM said at a conference in the delta’s hub Can Tho on Wednesday that before the current government term (2021–2026), the Mekong Delta, a key region playing a vital role in producing rice and agricultural products for both domestic and export markets, had only 39 km of expressways, with no construction projects in the pipeline.
As per an approved plan, the delta will have six expressways with a total length of nearly 1,200 km. Currently, 120 km of expressways are operational, 428 km are under construction and expected to be completed by 2025, and 215 km are being studied for future investment.
The PM urged ministries and local authorities to act proactively and with urgency to meet the target of completing 600 km of expressways by 2025 and 1,200 km by 2030.
Local governments involved in the projects have been ordered to complete 100% of land clearance by October 2024 to ensure the projects remain on schedule.
Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Duy Lam reported that several key expressway projects in the Mekong Delta are delayed due to a shortage of sand for backfilling.
Currently, nine projects are underway in the region with a total investment of approximately VND106 trillion (US$6.35 billion), with eight already under construction. However, most projects are behind schedule by 4-15% due to the sand shortage, wasting time and resources and impacting construction efficiency.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh said that 49 sand mines have been licensed, with a total reserve of 50 million cubic meters, but this remains insufficient. Due to the declining sand supply in the Mekong Delta, the ministry has proposed expanding the use of sea sand and imported sand.
Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat noted that in 2017 and again in 2023, his ministry worked with relevant agencies to research the use of sea sand in transportation and civil construction. The results were promising, but further environmental and livestock impact assessments are required before its application can be expanded. The ministry will continue to invest in and deepen research on this issue.
Home to 17.5 million people, or 18% of Vietnam’s population, the Mekong Delta spans almost four million hectares. It is the country’s largest agricultural hub, with over 2.4 million hectares dedicated to crops and 700,000 hectares for aquaculture. The delta accounts for 54% of Vietnam’s rice production, 60% of its fruit, and 70% of its fisheries output.
Despite its importance, the region currently has only one expressway connecting it to the rest of the country. The 91-km expressway accounts for just 7% of the country’s total expressway network.
In 2010, the 40-km Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway, the country’s first expressway, was built. It reduced travel time from HCMC to Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta from 90 to 30 minutes, easing traffic on National Highway 1A.
However, it took another 12 years to extend the expressway by 51 km. The extension, known as the Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway, connects to the HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway in Tien Giang’s Chau Thanh District and passes through five districts before joining National Highway 30 at the An Thai Trung Intersection in Cai Be District.
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