Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a conference on the implementation of expressway projects in the Mekong Delta region - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Attending the conference were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, leaders of ministries, central agencies, Secretaries, Chairmen of localities in the Mekong Delta region, project management boards and contractors.
Currently, in the Mekong Delta region, the Ministry of Construction and localities are implementing 11 expressway projects/component projects with a total length of 434.7 km.
Of which, the Ministry of Construction is the managing agency of 5 component projects with a total length of 211.77 km, of which 4 projects are planned to be completed in 2025 with a length of 191.17 km (Can Tho - Hau Giang and Hau Giang - Ca Mau 110.87 km long; Cao Lanh - Lo Te 28.8 km long; Lo Te - Rach Soi 51.5 km long); My An - Cao Lanh project (just started in July 2025) is planned to be completed in 2028 with a length of 26.6 km.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at the conference - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Localities are the managing agencies of 6 component projects with a total length of 216.93 km, of which component project 1 Cao Lanh - An Huu, with the People's Committee of Dong Thap province as the managing agency, is planned to be completed in 2025 with a length of 16 km; the remaining 5 projects are planned to be completed in 2026 and put into full operation in 2027 with a length of 200.93 km.
The Prime Minister has directed the shortening of the progress of these 5 projects, specifically: Component project 1 Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang, 57 km long, with the People's Committee of An Giang province as the governing body, will be completed on December 19, 2025; Component projects 2, 3, 4 Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang, 132.5 km long, with the People's Committee of Can Tho city as the governing body, and Component project 2 Cao Lanh - An Huu, 11.43 km long, with the People's Committee of Dong Thap province as the governing body, will be completed on April 30, 2026.
Delegates report - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
The projects have basically completed the site clearance work, many projects have completed 100% of the site. Regarding construction materials, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has paid attention, directly inspected, worked with, and directed ministries, branches, and localities to focus on removing obstacles and speeding up the licensing process for mines, which has now basically met the needs of the projects.
Deputy Minister of Construction Pham Minh Ha reports at the conference - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
According to the report of the Ministry of Construction, localities have licensed the exploitation of 63.31 million m3 of sand for projects (compared to the demand of 54.2 million m3), however, the permitted exploitation capacity has not met the progress of project implementation. Regarding stone materials, the total demand of projects is 8.6 million m3, of which 5.5 million m3 has been identified.
The work of supporting resettlement and taking care of people's lives has been done well by the localities. The work of ensuring security, order and social safety in the project area has been maintained.
To ensure the completion of projects, investors have developed detailed plans and resolutely directed contractors to mobilize more machinery, equipment, human resources, and materials, and organize construction in "3 shifts and 4 shifts".
Of which, the Cao Lanh - Lo Te project's output value reached 92%, expected to be fully completed before December 19, 2025. The Lo Te - Rach Soi project's output value reached 99%, expected to be fully completed by the end of October 2025.
Can Tho - Ca Mau project's output value reached 75%. Cao Lanh - An Huu project, component 1 reached 68%; component 2 reached 53.4%. Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang project, component 1 reached 62%, components 2, 3, 4 averaged 45%.
Deputy Minister of Finance Le Tan Can reports at the conference - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
As for the My An - Cao Lanh project, which just started construction in July 2025, the Ministry of Construction is directing the investor to speed up the construction progress of the last 4 km of the route to soon complete the connection and operate synchronously with the Cao Lanh - An Huu component project 1 at the An Binh intersection.
Recently, the Government and the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of National Defense to invest in the Ca Mau - Dat Mui expressway and the road connecting to Hon Khoai port. The Government also agreed to assign the Ministry of National Defense to apply urgent solutions to implement these projects as quickly as possible; the projects started on August 19 and the Ministry of National Defense is urgently implementing the projects according to schedule to connect from Ca Mau to Dat Mui (forming a national expressway, connecting from Cao Bang to Dat Mui).
Reports and opinions at the conference also assessed that in recent times, removing difficulties and obstacles and supporting ministries, branches and localities to promote the progress of implementing key projects in the Mekong Delta is extremely necessary and timely.
Besides the achieved results, key transport projects in the South, focusing on the vertical expressway project (Can Tho - Ca Mau), horizontal expressway project (Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang) and some other important projects in the Mekong Delta region still have some difficulties, problems and limitations.
Such as difficulties in management at localities when being assigned to manage large-scale projects for the first time, with complex technical requirements; construction on weak ground; difficulties in resources, especially the source of materials for roadbed leveling, especially during the period from the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 and before, coordination and supply of materials encountered many difficulties and insufficient materials for leveling. Some projects still have problems with site clearance, especially some high-voltage power stations that have not been relocated yet...
The sooner there is a system of highways, airports, and ports, the sooner the Mekong Delta will benefit.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pointed out that, along with high-quality human resources, strategic infrastructure is a bottleneck in the Mekong Delta, including transport infrastructure - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that, along with high-quality human resources, strategic infrastructure is a bottleneck in the Mekong Delta, including transport infrastructure. The two areas of human resource training and infrastructure development in the Mekong Delta must go first, pave the way, accelerate, break through, be more rapid and bold.
In recent years, the Party and State have paid great attention to the Mekong Delta region, with the spirit of "what is said must be done, what is committed must be done, what is done must be done effectively". We have planned about 1,300 km of expressway in the region, are constructing many expressway projects, Hon Khoai port, upgrading Phu Quoc and Ca Mau airports...; researching Tran De port.
According to the report of the Ministry of Finance, the total investment capital for transport infrastructure in the Mekong Delta during this term is estimated at nearly 600 trillion VND, the highest among socio-economic regions.
The Prime Minister requested that we strive to complete and exceed the set targets for expressway projects in the Mekong Delta, contributing to exceeding the target of 3,000 km of expressway in 2025 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
The Prime Minister stated that we must strive to complete and exceed the set targets for expressway projects in the Mekong Delta, contributing to exceeding the target of 3,000 km of expressway in 2025. This is a political task, a command of the heart, a responsibility to the Mekong Delta, and the aspiration of the people for the country to develop quickly and sustainably. It is expected that by 2026, this region will have about 600 km of expressway.
According to the Prime Minister, with the drastic efforts to overcome difficulties for key transport projects in recent times, including projects in the Mekong Delta region, we have achieved many remarkable results. Up to this point, it can be affirmed that the capital, mechanisms and raw materials for the projects are generally not lacking; there is only a local shortage of raw materials in some places.
In the coming time, the Prime Minister requested relevant subjects to promote patriotism, responsibility of party members, and heart for the people to act, talk less and do more.
The Ministry of Construction continues to urge and direct investors and contractors to mobilize full financial resources, human resources, equipment, organize construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams", strictly handle contractors behind schedule according to contract regulations, ensure the completion of the main route of the Can Tho - Ca Mau project before December 19, 2025, and complete the Cao Lanh - Lo Te and Lo Te - Rach Soi projects by October 2025.
The Prime Minister directed relevant agencies to conduct inspections, investigations if there are signs, promptly detect and strictly handle violations related to construction materials - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
The Ministry of National Defense directed relevant units to mobilize human resources and equipment to accelerate investment in the expressway project from Ca Mau city to Dat Mui and the road project to Hon Khoai port. At the same time, support localities in dredging sand at sea.
Local Party committees and authorities must pay attention to, lead, direct, encourage, urge, inspect, and handle obstacles and difficulties for projects; review and arrange staff suitable for the 2-level government model to smoothly implement work; care for and look after the lives and livelihoods of people who give up land for projects, ensuring that new housing is better than the old one.
The provinces and cities of Can Tho and An Giang directed the investors and contractors of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang project to properly fulfill their contractual obligations, mobilize resources to speed up the progress of the projects, and take full responsibility for the progress and quality of the works.
Dong Thap province strongly urges and directs the investor and contractors of component project 1 Cao Lanh - An Huu to regularly monitor and track subsidence to decide the time of unloading; proactively coordinate with relevant agencies of localities with quarries (Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang) to prioritize material supply for the project; increase financial resources, human resources, equipment, organize "3 shifts" construction; when conditions for unloading are met, organize rolling construction of the road surface foundation to speed up the project's completion progress.
An Giang province speeds up the implementation of investment procedures for the route connecting Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway to Tinh Bien border gate and Khanh Binh border gate.
Directing the removal of difficulties and obstacles, the Prime Minister requested localities and Vietnam Electricity Group to thoroughly resolve site clearance problems related to power projects, which must be completed by October.
Regarding construction materials, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 206/2025/QH15, the Government issued Resolution No. 66.4/2025/NQ-CP to remove difficulties in material supply. The Prime Minister directed the localities of Can Tho, An Giang, Dong Thap, and Vinh Long to proactively review, increase capacity, open new mines, flexibly transfer material sources between projects according to Resolution No. 66.4/NQ-CP, provide raw material mines directly to investors, management boards, and project contractors, and provide them immediately if needed; the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment provides guidance on mine capacity. Localities proactively resolve problems within their authority, and if beyond their authority, report to the Prime Minister.
Localities with projects passing through must direct departments, branches and sectors to announce material prices and construction price indexes in compliance with regulations. Announced prices must be consistent with market price levels and market supply capacity.
Delegates attending the conference - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
In particular, the Prime Minister directed relevant agencies to conduct inspections, investigations, and investigations if there are signs, promptly detect and strictly handle violations related to construction materials, not to allow market manipulation, hoarding, and price gouging; not to allow congestion, not to allow shortages of raw materials, not to allow negativity and corruption, not to allow situations where domestic raw materials are not exploited or purchased at low prices but instead purchased from foreign countries at high prices. At the same time, pay attention to environmental issues, landslides, and subsidence during the exploitation and supply of materials.
The Prime Minister noted that along with promoting progress, it is necessary to ensure and improve quality, safety, techniques, aesthetics, and environment for projects; localities should refer to, learn from, and replicate good models, good and effective practices; the Ministry of Construction should provide guidance on forced loading to shorten construction time while ensuring quality and techniques.
The Prime Minister also directed relevant ministries and agencies to carry out a number of specific tasks to accelerate the progress of projects serving APEC 2027; promptly restart the Can Tho Oncology Hospital project (new) and urgently purchase two radiotherapy machines for the existing hospital to serve patients; implement the program of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta...
"The mindset must be clear, the determination must be high, the effort must be great, the action must be drastic, effective, the work must be focused, the key points must be done, each task must be completed thoroughly, faster, bolder, dare to do, dare to take more responsibility to contribute to removing traffic and infrastructure bottlenecks for the region. The sooner the system of highways, airports, and ports is built, the Mekong Delta will benefit, the people will enjoy it," the Prime Minister stated.
Source: https://vtv.vn/thu-tuong-nhiem-ky-nay-da-danh-600-nghin-ty-dong-cho-giao-thong-dbscl-10025101919410033.htm
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