Can Tho-Ca Mau expressway must be completed by end-2025: PM

An expressway from Can Tho city to Ca Mau province in the Mekong Delta must be completed no later than December 31, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on Friday.

While inspecting the construction of the expressway, the cabinet leader requested relevant agencies to strengthen inspection of the contractors’ performance to ensure project progress and quality, and prevent corruption and negative acts.

Work on the Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway, part of the eastern wing of the North-South Expressway project, started on January 1, 2023. The 111-kilometer road traverses Can Tho, considered heart of the Mekong Delta, and the provinces of Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, and Ca Mau.

With a total investment of over VND27.5 trillion (nearly $1.1 billion), it consists of two sub-projects, namely Can Tho-Hau Giang (37km) and Hau Giang-Ca Mau (73km).

According to the project management unit, localities have so far handed over 110.68 out of 110.85 kilometers of clean land, or 99.84%. However, in terms of technical infrastructure, six of seven high voltage power line positions have not been relocated.

To date VND6,432 billion ($253 million) out of VND18,842 billion has been disbursed for construction work, reaching 34.16% of the contract.

The total volume of sand for filling the main route has reached 5.4 million out of 14.5 million cubic meters (37.2%). Meanwhile, 108 among 117 bridges have been completed, fulfilling 70% of the plan. In 2024, VND2,416 billion ($95 million) is expected to be disbursed, reaching 48% of the yearly plan.

To complete the project in 2025, the sand embankment and bridge construction must be finished by the end of 2024, while the main route should be completed in November 2025 and the traffic safety system in December 2025.

At a meeting with relevant ministries, sectors, localities, the project management unit, and contractors, PM Chinh expressed his delight that after three years of implementation, an expressway through the Mekong Delta, from Can Tho to Ca Mau, has taken shape.

Vietnam expects to have 3,000 km of expressways by the end of 2025, connecting the northern border province of Cao Bang with the southernmost province of Ca Mau. Therefore, expressway projects, including Can Tho-Ca Mau, must be carried out with determination, he said.

Chinh ordered the localities traversed by the project to speed up and complete site clearance to hand over ground to the constructors in July.

The government leader also asked them to mobilise the participation of the entire local political system, people, and businesses since this is a nationally strategic project which is important to the development of the country, the region, and local people.