Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính inspected the construction of the Cần Thơ–Cà Mau Expressway on Sunday. VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Sunday inspected the construction of the Cần Thơ–Cà Mau Expressway, during which he encouraged workers at the site and directed measures to speed up the project's progress.

The Cần Thơ–Cà Mau Expressway forms part of the eastern section of the North–South Expressway for the 2021–25 period.

Spanning nearly 111km, the expressway traverses the localities of Cần Thơ, Hậu Giang, Bạc Liêu, and Cà Mau. The project is overseen by the Mỹ Thuận Project Management Board under the Ministry of Transport, with a total investment of approximately VNĐ27.5 trillion (US$1.08 billion). Its construction began on January 1, 2023 and is set for completion by December 2025.

To date, 53 per cent of the project’s workload has been completed. Local authorities have handed over 100 per cent of the main route's land and 99 per cent of the connector roads.

Visiting the construction site in the Mekong Delta province of Hậu Giang's Phùng Hiệp and Vị Thủy districts, PM Chính praised the efforts of local authorities, contractors, and workers for their efforts despite challenges.

Highlighting infrastructure and workforce shortages as critical barriers to development in the Mekong Delta, he stressed the Government’s commitment to resolving these issues, with expressway projects like Cần Thơ–Cà Mau being a top priority.

Recognising all challenges facing the project, the PM instructed all sides to accelerate progress without compromising quality, safety, or environmental standards. He called for stricter oversight to avoid cost overrun or corruption, urging all stakeholders - from local authorities to the wider public - to actively support the project.

The Government leader underlined the need to care for those affected by the project, ensuring that the resettlement place is better than the old place.

He requested Cần Thơ City to deal with the relocation of the local landfill to hand over all the ground to the project in this month.

The Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies must speed up progress of procedures allowing the mining of materials like sand and stone, ensuring adequate supply in December, he asked. Tiền Giang, An Giang, Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Đồng Tháp and Vĩnh Long provinces were tasked with increasing output to meet demands.

He requested relevant ministries, sectors to work with Ca Mau province on the lengthening of the Cần Thơ-Cà Mau Expressway to meet travel demand, promoting socio-economic development and ensuring security-defence of the province and the whole country. This project is expected to start in 2026.

The PM noted that the completion of the North–South Expressway by 2025 - spanning from Lạng Sơn in the north to Cà Mau in the south, is an important political imperative. The project will contribute to Việt Nam’s goal of 3,000km of expressways by 2025, commemorating significant national anniversaries and paving the way for further economic growth, he added, asking for close coordination among all parties, especially localities hosting the project, to speed up the project's progress. VNS