Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivers his speech at a conference on Wednesday in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ on Wednesday.—VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

CẦN THƠ — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has ordered relevant ministries and local authorities to swiftly address issues related to land clearance, the relocation of high-voltage power lines and the procurement of fill materials to enhance transportation infrastructure in the Mekong Delta.

The directive was issued during a conference on Wednesday in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ, aimed at finding solutions to the challenges hindering the development of transportation infrastructure in the delta.

Chính told the local administrations of the provinces and cities involved in the transportation infrastructure projects to focus on completing land clearance by this month, to avoid impacting project timelines.

They need to collaborate closely with localities that supply materials and take decisive action with investors and contractors to ensure a steady supply of resources while addressing any deliberate delays with strict penalties.

He said that provinces with material resources, such as Vĩnh Long, Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Đồng Tháp, and An Giang, must resolve residents' concerns in sand mining areas to prevent complaints and disputes.

He also tasked the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises to direct the Electricity of Việt Nam (EVN) and local authorities to urgently relocate the high-voltage power lines and to hold accountable those responsible for delays.

He assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as the Ministry of Transport, to directly guide localities in expediting the permitting processes for mining operations, ensuring that no regulations hinder the supply of fill sand and gravel, which would impede the progress of key transportation projects in the region.

He said that HCM City, Cần Thơ City and Hậu Giang Province, which did not have self-sufficient sources of fill materials, must regularly update the status of permitting processes for sand supply to support road foundation projects.

Investors, project management boards, contractors and consulting units are required to bolster workforce and machinery resources with the commitment to accelerate project timelines.

Close cooperation with local material suppliers was essential to manage supply issues and promptly resolve any emergent challenges, he said.

Nine major projects

Currently, the delta is implementing nine major transportation projects, with a total investment of approximately VNĐ106 trillion (US$4.22 billion).

Of these, eight projects are under construction, while one project is finalising its procedures, with a planned start date early next year.

Among the eight ongoing projects, six are scheduled for completion next year.

There are four expressway projects with a total length of 207 km: Cần Thơ - Hậu Giang - Cà Mau, Cao Lãnh - Lộ Tẻ, Cao Lãnh - An Hữu and Lộ Tẻ - Rạch Sỏi.

The remaining two projects consist of the Hồ Chí Minh Road segment from Rạch Sỏi to Bến Nhất, Gò Quao to Vĩnh Thuận and the Rạch Miễu 2 Bridge.

Meanwhile, the Châu Đốc - Cần Thơ - Sóc Trăng expressway project is expected to be substantially completed by 2026, with operations beginning in 2027.

The Cao Lãnh - An Hữu expressway project and the Đại Ngãi bridge are scheduled for completion in 2027.

During the conference, representatives from ministries and local boards reported that the land clearance for ongoing expressway projects has exceeded 99 per cent, meeting the construction timeline.

The implementation of construction activities is proceeding according to the Prime Minister’s directives, with 6,500 personnel and 2,200 pieces of equipment mobilised to match local construction conditions.

Delays in progress

However, most projects are running behind schedule, lagging between four and 15 per cent due to insufficient sand supplies for construction.

While funding allocation and disbursement generally meet construction timelines, the critical issue remains ensuring a reliable supply of materials, including fill sand and gravel.

Under Chính’s directives, localities have actively identified a river sand supply of 72.3 million cu.m, set against a requirement of 65 million cu.m.

However, prolonged procedural timelines and limited extraction capacities have caused failures to meet construction demands.

Challenges arise as sand mines overlap with navigable channels and protective corridors of inland waterways.

Therefore, approval from higher authorities is required for operational consideration.

Some mines, located in shallow water levels, can only use small vessels, making them highly dependent on weather conditions, thereby unable to meet demand.

Meanwhile, the marine sand extraction process has only recently started to support the Hậu Giang - Cà Mau expressway project, while procedures for the Hồ Chí Minh Road project and coastal area allocations for the Châu Đốc - Cần Thơ - Sóc Trăng expressway project are still being finalised.

Notably, with a requirement of approximately 8.03 million cu.m, securig a supply of gravel materials poses a significant challenge for the delta.

In response to Chính’s order, the provinces of Kiên Giang, An Giang, Đồng Nai, Bình Dương and Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu have supported investors and contractors in working with quarries to finalise the necessary legal procedures for the Cần Thơ - Hậu Giang - Cà Mau expressway project.

While contractors have signed agreements and are transporting materials to the site, the long distances have increased costs.

Delegates suggested that, in addition to addressing regulatory hurdles, the potential for importing construction materials should be considered to meet the infrastructure development needs of the delta.

Prospects for development

Chính said that after three years dedicated to researching and initiating expressway projects in the delta, the transformation from expansive rice fields to clearly defined modern expressways heralded vast development potential for the region.

According to the plan, the delta is projected to have six expressways spanning approximately 1,188 km.

Previously, the region had only 39 km of expressway, with no investment projects under preparation.

To date, 120 km of expressways are operational, with 428 km under construction and 215 km under consideration for investment preparation.

The goal is to achieve approximately 548 km of expressways by 2025, expanding to 763 km by 2030.

At the event, he praised the determination of the ministries, local bodies, agencies and enterprises in implementing Government directives to resolve challenges in advancing key expressway projects in the delta, particularly in terms of licensing, resource extraction, coordination and ensuring sufficient supply of fill materials and gravel.

He underscored the strategic importance of transportation infrastructure, especially expressway systems, for the rapid and sustainable development of the delta, urging all bodies to act urgently, proactively and creatively to further shorten the implementation time of the projects.— VNS