Vietnam's Ministry of Transport has required the Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long, Dong Thap, and An Giang to prioritize 19 million cubic meters of sand for two subprojects of the North-South expressway project in the 2021-25 period.

The two subprojects are Can Tho-Hau Giang and Hau Giang-Ca Mau.

In a statement sent to the People’s Committees of the three provinces, the Ministry of Transport said that work on the two subprojects started on January 1.

The ministry has asked the My Thuan project management board and contractors to concurrently complete building stages, especially leveling.

Some 18.5 million cubic meters of sand is needed for such leveling, which will be conducted this year and in the first half of next year.

However, the sand supply for the expressway sections passing through the Mekong Delta is insufficient, mainly in An Giang, Dong Thap, and Vinh Long.

At present, only An Giang plans to provide some 1.1 million cubic meters of sand.

Therefore, the Ministry of Transport asked the Vinh Long People’s Committee to supply five million cubic meters of sand, including three million cubic meters in 2023 and the remainder in 2024.

Meanwhile, Dong Thap and An Giang will allocate seven million cubic meters of sand each to the project, with 4.2 million cubic meters this year and 2.8 million cubic meters next year, from their sand mines.

The three provinces were also requested to instruct investors and contractors to complete procedures to open the mines in line with the government’s Resolution 18/NQ-CP on the implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution 44/2022/QH15 on the development of the North-South expressway project in the 2021-25 period. 

Sand mines’ capacity should be raised by 50 percent and the increased sand volume will be supplied to the North-South expressway project.

The Can Tho-Hau Giang section, which requires an investment of VND10.37 trillion (US$437.5 million), includes a main route and a branch with a respective length of 37.7 and 9.3 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the Hau Giang-Ca Mau section includes a 73.2-kilometer main route and a 16.6-kilometer branch passing through Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, and Ca Mau Provinces and needs an investment of nearly VND17.2 trillion ($723.8 million). 

The two expressway sections will initially have four lanes each measuring 17 meters wide. 

They are expected to be 35 percent complete this year, basically connected with other sections by the end of 2025 and put into operation in 2026. 

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