CÀ MAU – The traffic sector would prioritise projects of overriding importance to further the province’s socio-economic development, a local official said.

Deputy Head of the southernmost Cà Mau Province’s transport department, Lê Thành Huấn, said, that thanks to limited financial resources, the sector would focus on key projects in accordance with the province’s socio-economic master plan to 2020 with a vision to 2030 approved by the government.

Accordingly, the province will accord priority to projects such as a major traffic axis connecting the east and west of the province; upgrade and expand the Tắc Thủ - Rạch Ráng - Sông Ðốc traffic route, the U Minh - Khánh Hội road, and Năm Căn - Hàng Vịnh road; in addition to connecting traffic routes with highways running through Cà Mau City, and build the Southwest ring road, among others.

Also, the province will speed up traffic and irrigation projects along the West Sea dyke and complete the road-bed for the dyke system along the East Sea.

The province will proceed with projects using local funds to build a number of key bridges, such as the Bạch Ngưu Bridge in Thới Bình District, and the Nhị Nguyệt and Xóm Ruộng bridges along the Lương Thế Trân-Đầm Dơi line.

To facilitate the inland waterway management and orientation for socio-economic development, defence and security, the provincial People’s Committee recently approved a detailed plan for the local inland waterway to 2020 with a direction to 2030, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Cà Mau targets the completion of 1,800km of rural traffic routes, costing an estimated VNĐ5 trillion (US$220 million), with an aim to gradually complete the rural traffic infrastructure system.

To that end, the province would seek financial assistance from the State and mobilise other sources from the public, Huấn said.

"The province will make full use of funding sources to carry out key traffic projects and mobilise resources to synchronise the local infrastructure, besides making efforts to build new-style rural areas and respond to climate change,” Huấn said.

“First and foremost, we will call for investment into projects implemented under BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), PPP (Public-Private Partnership), and BT (Build-Transfer) forms,” he said.

Over the past years, Cà Mau has built and upgraded nearly 1,600 bridges with total investment of more than VNĐ307 billion ($14 million), creating a smooth traffic network across the province. At the same time, the province has concretised 2,000km of rural roads. – VNS