Western Vietnam makes a breakthrough.

In the new year of 2026, many expressway projects in the Mekong Delta will be put into operation, including the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway. This is an important "piece of the puzzle," completing the entire Eastern North-South expressway axis, from Lang Son to Ca Mau. These expressway projects are a major driving force for the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta region in the coming years.

Unblocking bottlenecks

In the early days of the new year, people in Ca Mau were overjoyed as the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway was inaugurated. This year marks the "first spring" when people from Ca Mau can travel continuously on the expressway to Ho Chi Minh City. Regarding this historic event, Mr. Nguyen Van Khen, a resident of An Xuyen ward, expressed his excitement: "This year I am almost 70 years old and frequently travel to Ho Chi Minh City for medical treatment; each trip is a long and tiring journey of more than 7 hours by car. Now it's great, with the expressway, the travel time has been reduced by almost half. So, the long-held dream of the people of Ca Mau has finally come true."

According to Dr. Tran Khac Tam, Chairman of the Soc Trang Business Association, the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway, once operational, will address three key bottlenecks. Firstly, transportation time; significantly shortening travel time between production, processing, and consumption centers will allow businesses to be more proactive in their delivery plans, especially for fresh agricultural and aquatic products, which are highly sensitive to time constraints. Secondly, the stability of the supply chain. The expressway will reduce congestion, accidents, and disruptions, factors that previously resulted in high "hidden" costs in logistics. Thirdly, it will provide quick connectivity to major transportation hubs such as Can Tho International Airport, numerous seaports, and regional logistics centers, thereby reducing transit costs.

Regarding the reduction in transportation costs, although there are no official statistics, based on the practical experience of the expressways already in operation, the average reduction on the main routes can reach 15%-25% of the total operating costs (fuel, depreciation, labor) per trip. For the Mekong Delta region, reducing transportation and transit time is a crucial factor, as it helps increase the added value of agricultural and aquatic products and better meet the stringent standards of the international market.

Opens up many opportunities

Besides saving costs, many experts also believe that the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway will have a significant impact on attracting investment and changing the production mindset of the people. Good transportation infrastructure will be a "magnet" attracting many large investors, especially FDI agricultural and seafood processing corporations. Processing plants will tend to move closer to raw material sources, locating in industrial zones along the expressway to optimize input and output logistics. The large and stable demand from these factories will create a reverse demand for agricultural production: it can no longer continue with fragmented, small-scale production in the traditional way.

The Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway section passing through Can Tho city.

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam, Director of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry's branch in the Mekong Delta, believes that when the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway becomes operational, the weaknesses of the Mekong Delta in terms of transportation infrastructure and logistics costs will be quickly resolved. Localities in the region should seize this opportunity to invest strategically in the remaining infrastructure in their areas. With reduced logistics costs, more domestic and foreign businesses will be drawn to the Mekong Delta, contributing to the region's rapid economic development.

Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai emphasized that the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway is an important "piece" that completes the entire North-South expressway, connecting the two northernmost points of the country, from Lang Son to Ca Mau. This helps Ca Mau break its monopoly on road transport, creating a continuous high-speed transport route connecting Ca Mau with key provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and the economic center of Ho Chi Minh City.

Shortening travel time and reducing logistics costs will help the province's key goods, especially high-quality seafood and agricultural products, access markets faster and enhance competitiveness. The completion of the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway and subsequent projects such as the Ca Mau - Dat Mui expressway, the road to Hon Khoai Island, the Hon Khoai dual-use port, and the upgrading of Ca Mau airport, will create a complete strategic infrastructure system, which is decisive and groundbreaking for the development of Ca Mau province in the coming years.

TUAN QUANG - TAN THAI - CAO PHONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/mien-tay-but-pha-post837255.html