The renovation project for the Tham Luong-Ben Cat-Nuoc Len Canal in Ho Chi Minh City is on track for completion this year after two years of construction, addressing long-standing environmental pollution issues for residents, according to the city’s Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board.

Spanning nearly 32 kilometers and traversing seven districts – including District 12, Binh Tan District, Tan Phu District, Tan Binh District, Go Vap District, Binh Thanh District, and Binh Chanh District – the canal serves as a vital waterway, connecting the city with Long An Province via the Cho Dem River and with Binh Duong and Dong Nai Provinces through the Saigon River.

Initiated in February 2023, the canal renovation project has a total investment of over VND9,030 billion ($353.4 million) and includes several key components.

These include dredging to improve water flow and stabilize the canal banks, constructing roads on both sides to enhance transportation, and installing drainage systems, boat docks, and lighting, along with tree planting to improve both functionality and aesthetics.

Currently, the project is 43.51 percent complete. Notably, 80 percent of the canal’s embankment system, a key part of the project, has been completed.

In the coming months, construction teams will focus on expediting the development of the 30-kilometer-long roads adjacent to the canal, featuring roadways between seven and 12 meters wide, with sidewalks starting at three meters in width.

According to the board, the project is expected to open for technical traffic within 2025 and be completed and put into service in 2026.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on February 21, the embankments and adjoining roads are taking shape in District 12, Binh Tan, and Go Vap.

Local residents, including 69-year-old Kim Loan from District 12, are optimistic about the project's timely completion.

They hope it will replace persistent issues of foul odors and flooding with a clean canal and scenic pathways.

According to the board, once completed, the project aims to improve water drainage for approximately 14,900 hectares in the surrounding areas, mitigate flooding in the central and northwestern parts of the city, and enhance environmental conditions.

Additionally, the new roads along both sides of the Tham Luong-Ben Cat-Nuoc Len Canal are expected to ease traffic congestion on National Highway 1 while also providing a convenient waterway link between the southwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as southeastern localities like Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Tay Ninh.

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