Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has requested the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and other authorised agencies at the local level to make thorough assessments on all transport investment projects.– Photo bienphong.com.vn

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has requested the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and other authorised agencies at the local level to make thorough assessments on all transport investment projects. Officials are asked to prioritise key projects so that the provision of financial and human resources meets demand.

The request, aiming to remove traffic bottlenecks in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta region, was announced by the Government Office on Thursday.

The deputy PM had recently concluded an inspection of the region’s transport infrastructure projects.

Specifically, the deputy PM urged the development of the HCM City – Cần Thơ expressway to be accelerated, especially the VNĐ9 trillion ($396 million) Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận and the VNĐ7 trillion ($308 million) Mỹ Thuận - Cần Thơ sections. These individual projects were key in removing traffic bottlenecks and boosting links between the Mekong Delta and HCM City, thus increasing the competitiveness of the region.

The MoT should continue to direct and coordinate with others ministries and sectors to solve issues in the implementation of the BOT Trung Luong - My Thuan project so that the 2019 deadline is met, according to the deputy PM.

The ministry should also quickly fulfil all investment procedures and organise bidding to select qualified and experienced investors for the Mỹ Thuận - Cần Thơ highway project, ensuring transparency and reconciling benefits to the State, investors and local people in the region.

The Trung Lương - Cần Thơ expressway should be put into operation before 2020, according to the deputy PM.

Two other key projects, the Cao Lanh Bridge and a road connecting the Vàm Cống Bridge, were urged to complete this year, while another road section connecting the Vàm Cống Bridge to Kiên Giang Province was slated for 2018.

More projects on upgrading National Highway 30 should also be intensified to meet the transport demands between HCM City and Cần Thơ, according to the request.

Waterway transportation

In his request, the deputy PM asked MoT to assume prime responsibility and coordinate with local authorities in dredging river mouths, inland waterways and channels in order to boost the region’s waterway transportation capacity and logistics industry.

He urged the MoT to co-operate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to report to the Prime Minister about projects on investment in a coal port in the region with the aim to meet demands of coal transportation for thermal power plants in the Mekong Delta.

The Ministry of Construction should assume prime responsibility and coordinate with others ministries to conduct research on new materials that could replace sand for construction as a way to meet the increasing demands of sand in the region as well as the whole country. —  VNS