A series of multi-billion dollar transportation projects are driving a breakthrough in the Mekong Delta's economy.

Over the past five years, a series of large-scale expressways and bridges in the Mekong Delta have been completed or are under construction, creating a comprehensive inter-regional transportation network.

Infrastructure in the Mekong Delta is a system of large-scale expressways and bridges that are being heavily invested in to eliminate traffic bottlenecks, connect the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City, and complete the southern economic backbone.

The Than Cuu Nghia interchange is the end point of the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway and the starting point of the Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway.

Completing the eastern expressway axis connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho.

The most important project in this network is the Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway, over 50 km long with a total investment of 12,000 billion VND. The route officially opened at the end of April 2022, playing a key role in driving development for the Southern key economic region. The route is designed with 4 lanes, a speed limit of 80 km/h, and includes emergency stopping points instead of continuous lanes.

This interchange helps to divert traffic and reduce congestion on National Highway 1A, which has an average traffic volume of approximately 31,000 vehicles per day and night.

Continuing this transportation network is the My Thuan 2 Bridge and its approach roads, totaling 6.6 km in length. With a total investment of over 5,000 billion VND, the project has 6 lanes and was put into operation at the end of 2023. Located 350 meters upstream from the existing My Thuan Bridge, the bridge helps alleviate traffic pressure on National Highway 1 and completes the expressway route from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho.

The My Thuan 2 Bridge plays a crucial role in completing the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho.

The nearly 23-kilometer-long My Thuan - Can Tho expressway section, passing through Vinh Long and Dong Thap provinces, was also completed at the end of 2023. The project had a total investment of over 4,800 billion VND. The combination of My Thuan 2 bridge and this expressway section has helped shorten travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho to just over 2 hours, a significant reduction from the previous 3.5 hours.

A breakthrough in transportation to the southernmost point of the country.

The Can Tho – Ca Mau expressway project, with a length of nearly 110 km and a total investment of nearly 27,500 billion VND, is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025 or early this year. This is the final piece to complete the North-South expressway axis from Cao Bang to Ca Mau. Once operational, the travel time from Ca Mau to Ho Chi Minh City will be reduced to approximately 3.5–4 hours, half the time compared to the route via National Highway 1A.

The expressway facilitates production and transportation, and opens up new impetus for agriculture, fisheries, and tourism in the Mekong Delta.

At the starting point of the project in Hung Phu ward, Can Tho city, the IC 2 interchange will be the connection point to the access road to Can Tho 2 Bridge. The Can Tho 2 Bridge project is expected to start construction in 2026 and be completed after 5 years, creating a seamless traffic flow across the Hau River.

Develop the western axis and transverse expressways.

On the western axis, the Lo Te – Rach Soi expressway, over 51 km long (with a capital of 6,300 billion VND), opened to traffic in early 2021, shortening travel time from Can Tho to Kien Giang to 50 minutes. Currently, an upgrade project for this road, with a budget of 750 billion VND, is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 to ensure it meets expressway standards.

The route forms a north-south axis in the west, providing continuous access from Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho, An Giang, and Ca Mau.

Simultaneously, the Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang expressway, spanning over 188 km with a total investment of nearly 45,000 billion VND, is being accelerated. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2027. At the IC4 interchange (Can Tho City), this horizontal axis will directly connect with the Can Tho – Ca Mau vertical axis, creating a vital intersection for the entire region.

Strategic bridges spanning major rivers

Besides the expressways, the system of bridges over the Tien and Hau rivers is also being significantly upgraded. The Rach Mieu 2 bridge, connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre, with an investment of 6,800 billion VND, is expected to be completed in August 2025. Meanwhile, the Dai Ngai bridge project, 15.1 km long (with an investment of 8,000 billion VND) across the Hau River, will shorten the distance from Ca Mau to Ho Chi Minh City by 80 km compared to using National Highway 1, with the entire route expected to be operational in 2028.

When the Rach Mieu 2 bridge is put into use, it will resolve the serious traffic congestion at the existing bridge.

The synchronized implementation of a series of multi-billion dollar transportation infrastructure projects has not only helped the Mekong Delta region achieve breakthroughs in logistics but also attracted major investors. A prime example is the 300-hectare VSIP Industrial Park in Can Tho, currently under construction, benefiting from its proximity to these vital expressways.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/loat-du-an-giao-thong-nghin-ty-thuc-day-kinh-te-mien-tay-but-pha-425329.html