TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE "ON THE RIVER, ON THE BOAT" ADVANTAGE
Dong Thap has a convenient network of rivers and canals, with two major rivers, the Tien River and the Hau River, along with hundreds of interconnected canals and waterways.
This is considered a particular advantage for the province to develop waterway transportation, serving the needs of transporting agricultural products, construction materials, and import and export goods.
Along with the province's investment and attention, the central government has also focused on removing "bottlenecks" to develop waterway transportation in Dong Thap in particular and the Mekong Delta region in general.
One of the key projects is the Chợ Gạo Canal Upgrade Project Phase 2, with a total investment of over 1,335 billion VND. The project involves dredging and widening the shipping channel on the southern bank of the Chợ Gạo Canal, approximately 9.85 km long; constructing bank protection works, bridges, and local roads...
According to the Department of Construction, Dong Thap has a dense network of rivers and canals with a total of 17 centrally managed waterways, spanning 659 km in length. Local authorities manage 330 river and canal routes, with a total length of approximately 2,833 km. These include inland waterways with high traffic volumes such as the Tien River, Hau River, Soai Rap River, Cho Gao Canal, and Nguyen Van Tiep Canal. In addition, the province is also developing Cao Lanh port, Sa Dec port, Cao Lanh oil port, My Tho seaport on the Tien River; Bao Mai port on the Hau River and Soai Rap - Hiep Phuoc oil port. |
After renovation, the channel meets the standards of a Class II waterway with a depth of over 3.5 m and a width of over 50 m, facilitating smoother navigation for ships and boats.
This is a vital canal connecting the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City, so in addition to the expectation of promoting socio -economic development in the Western region, the project also contributes to serving the livelihoods of local people.
After completion and commissioning, the project has proven highly effective, facilitating the transportation and circulation of goods, and contributing to the socio-economic development of Dong Thap and the entire Mekong Delta region.
In parallel, the Ministry of Construction has also just completed three bridges: Sa Dec, Hong Nguy, and Giong Gang, which are part of the project to increase the clearance of road bridges crossing national inland waterways - phase 1 (Southern region).
The project has a total investment of over 2.155 billion VND, including the construction of 9 new bridges, the upgrading and renovation of 1 bridge, and the demolition of 1 bridge, aiming to improve the transportation infrastructure system in the Mekong Delta region.
In Dong Thap province alone, the Sa Dec and Hong Nguy bridges are being newly constructed, and the Giong Gang bridge is being renovated. When completed, the project will enhance the capacity for transporting goods by waterway between the Mekong Delta region and Ho Chi Minh City and the seaport clusters in the Southeast region.
According to assessments by relevant authorities, waterway transport has many advantages such as low cost, large carrying capacity, and suitability to the natural conditions of riverine regions.
In the context of increasing pressure on the road transport system, effectively utilizing waterway transport is considered a suitable approach to developing a synchronized and sustainable transport system.
According to Mr. Tran Do Liem, Chairman of the Vietnam Inland Waterway Transport Association, Vietnam's river system in general, and the Mekong Delta in particular, is among the best in the world.
The dense network of rivers and canals only requires basic dredging to ensure smooth navigation. In addition, favorable weather conditions are an advantage for developing waterway transportation.
Although the water flow increases during the flood season, it does not affect waterway transportation. The stable semi-diurnal tidal regime allows transportation to operate year-round.
Those working in the inland waterway transport industry have long taken advantage of the currents to increase the speed of their vessels, thereby saving fuel.
Furthermore, the people of the Mekong Delta have a long-standing connection to waterways, creating a rich and experienced workforce for the inland waterway transport industry. These are significant advantages for developing inland waterway transport.
FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
It is evident that, despite its many advantages, the inland waterway transport sector has not yet fully exploited its potential in recent years.
According to Mr. Tran Do Liem, despite the many potentials and advantages of river transport, we have not yet fully exploited them.
The existing waterway transportation network is now in place; the challenge is to strengthen and re-plan it. Currently, the volume of goods in the Mekong Delta region has increased 5-10 times compared to more than 10 years ago, mainly agricultural products.
Besides transporting goods to provinces and cities for consumption and to ports for export, there is also a need to transport goods imported into the region. Therefore, the demand for large-capacity ships is increasing.
Therefore, dredging is necessary at sedimentation sites to facilitate smooth traffic flow. Simultaneously, a large port is needed to meet the demand for cargo handling.
According to Nguyen The Hong Trung, Director of the Department of Construction of Dong Thap province, in the coming time, the province will focus on developing inland waterways, seaports and specialized ports, inland waterway ports, and inland waterway terminals on the main rivers and canals.
According to the "Plan for the Construction of Key Inter-regional Transportation Routes Connecting Seaports, Airports, and Major International Border Gates" and "Renovation and Upgrading of Inland Waterways and Development of Inland Ports" in Dong Thap province, giai đoạn 2026 - 2030, recently issued by the Provincial People's Committee, the province will focus on developing its waterway transportation system alongside road transport.
Accordingly, the province will coordinate with the central government to prepare for investment and implement the construction of the Khai Canal - Doc Phu Hien Canal.
At the same time, invest in dredging national waterways passing through the province such as the Tien River, Hau River, and Soai Rap River; and call for investment in dredging several important waterways managed by the province.
Simultaneously, Dong Thap is calling for investment in seaports in accordance with national planning, such as: the port areas on the Tien and Hau rivers; and the Go Cong general seaport.
The province will call for investment or invest in the construction of cargo ports, passenger ports, and tourist ferry terminals according to the plan on the Tien River, Hau River, and Soai Rap River.
In addition, the province will invest in upgrading the Binh Ninh ferry terminal across Tan Thoi commune; and other ferry and passenger terminals across the river capable of carrying cars, in order to maximize the advantages of waterway transportation.
It is evident that the development of waterway transportation is expected to create further impetus for the circulation of goods, especially for Dong Thap's strong agricultural sector.
Modern waterway transportation systems also open up opportunities for economic development, contributing to the effective exploitation of the local riverside economic potential.
M. THANH
Source: https://baodongthap.vn/khoi-thong-mach-mau-giao-thong-thuy-a241072.html
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