PM chairs conference on Mekong Delta transportation infrastructure development

In his opening remarks, Chinh noted that he presided over a similar conference three months ago and the October 16 gathering is to evaluate the progress, identify obstacles regarding materials, funding, and land acquisition, and pinpoint the causes and solutions to facilitate approved projects.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the Mekong Delta region is currently implementing five important national transportation projects. Among them, four out of the five projects have completed their investment procedures and are now in the construction phase.

Land acquisition for the ongoing expressway projects has reached over 99%, essentially meeting the construction timeline. However, the progress of the component projects is lagging behind by 4% to 15%, as the extraction and supply capacity of sand materials needed for the projects has not met the requirements.

Although the Prime Minister has closely directed localities such as Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, and Soc Trang to complete the sand mining permit procedures by August 30, 2024, the actual progress has still not met the needs for construction of the transportation projects.

Many sand mines in the localities surveyed have yet to meet the required quality and reserves, necessitating the search for alternative supply sources, which has delayed the granting process.

To ensure the timely implementation and completion of the projects, the Ministry of Transport has recommended that the Prime Minister direct localities to accelerate land acquisition and relocate high-voltage power lines to hand over the entire site for the projects by October 2024.

It has requested investors and contractors to proactively seek alternative sand sources to compensate for the shortages and meet project timelines; increase manpower and equipment; allocate sufficient funds; and arrange three shifts to make up for lost time.