Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng inspected Tham Lương–Bến Cất–Nước Lên Canal infrastructure and environmental improvement project in HCM City.  — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng inspected two major infrastructure projects in HCM City on Tuesday afternoon during his working trip to the southern metropolis, reviewing construction progress and obstacles requiring urgent resolution.

The projects are the Tham Lương–Bến Cất–Nước Lên Canal infrastructure and environmental improvement project and the project to combat tidal flooding in HCM City with climate change considerations.

At the sites, the Prime Minister heard reports on project progress, obstacles to construction, and issues requiring attention in the coming period.

The Tham Lương–Bến Cất–Nước Lên Canal project is one of the city’s key infrastructure works. Approved by the municipal People’s Committee in 2022 and adjusted in 2025, it has a total investment of more than VNĐ9.03 trillion ( over US$348 million) and is scheduled for implementation from 2021 to 2026.

Construction began on February 23, 2023, with 10 packages. The project has completed about 80 per cent of the workload, while disbursement has reached approximately 75 per cent.

Construction is proceeding across all packages, focusing on roads, pavements, canal embankments and road surfacing. Around 62km of embankments have been completed, while 48km of roads along both sides of the canals have been opened to traffic. The project is expected to improve the environment, mitigate flooding, upgrade urban landscapes and strengthen transport connectivity between HCM City and neighbouring localities, including Tây Ninh and Đồng Nai.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the tidal flood-control project, which has a total investment of VNĐ10 trillion, has reached approximately 95 per cent completion. Around 1,500 workers have been mobilised to accelerate construction, with handover scheduled for November.

The project targets a 570sq.km area on the right bank of the Saigon River and in the city centre, home to around 6.5 million people. Launched in 2016 under a build-transfer (BT) arrangement, it comprises six major tidal-control sluice gates, an embankment system along the Saigon River and auxiliary facilities.

Other components include approximately 7.8km of embankments and riverbank protection at vulnerable sections between Vàm Thuật and Sông Kinh, together with smaller sluice gates measuring 1–10 metres wide along the section from Vàm Thuật to Mương Chuối.

The central management facility and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system have also been completed. The system enables centralised operation, collects and monitors water-level and rainfall data, controls sluice gates and pumping stations, and supports warnings and waterway traffic coordination.

Originally scheduled for completion in 2018, the project has suffered repeated delays due to legal obstacles and difficulties in arranging payments to the investor.

To resolve the outstanding issues, competent authorities have introduced various policies and mechanisms, including Government Resolutions No. 16/2026/NQ-CP and No. 212/NQ-CP, National Assembly Resolution No. 260/2025/QH15 and Government Decree No. 257/2025/ND-CP. — VNA/VNS