Ho Chi Minh City seeks approval for 4 Doi canal revamp projects worth $1.9bn

At the fifth session of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on Monday, Nguyen Manh Cuong, vice-chairman of the municipal administration, presented a proposal on the four revamp projects.

The city considers them urgent projects intended to improve infrastructure and living conditions in the area.

All the projects will be funded by the city’s budget.

The southern bank of Doi Canal runs along Pham The Hien Street for about 8.8 kilometers and has one of the highest concentrations of canal-side housing in the city, with 5,807 households and properties identified for relocation.

Most of the existing homes in the area are small and makeshift, while sanitation, environmental conditions and safety remain inadequate, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

As such, the proposed projects are intended to relocate affected residents to new housing with better living conditions.

The city has proposed dividing the southern-bank corridor into four independent component projects.

The first project covers the nearly 1.2-kilometer section from Rach Ong Bridge to Mat Bridge in Chanh Hung Ward.

About 6.13 hectares of land would be acquired, affecting 944 households.

The second project covers the 2.1-kilometer section from Mat Bridge to Hiep An Bridge, also in Chanh Hung Ward.

It would require the acquisition of some 11.01 hectares of land and affect 2,060 households.

In Binh Dong Ward, the third project would run nearly 2.6 kilometers from Hiep An Bridge to Ba Tang Bridge.

About 11.19 hectares of land would be acquired, affecting 1,434 cases.

The fourth project would extend approximately 2.9 kilometers from Ba Tang Bridge to the end of the southern bank of Doi Canal.

It is the largest project in terms of investment, at more than VND17.9 trillion ($686 million).

The plan calls for the acquisition of 20.85 hectares of land and would affect 1,723 households.

The city said dividing the overall scheme into separate component projects is consistent with the current Law on Public Investment.

Under the comprehensive urban renewal plan, the southern bank of Doi Canal would undergo major infrastructure upgrades.

The key works include construction of a riverside embankment and widening Pham The Hien Street, which runs along the canal, to a planned width of 30 meters.

The projects would also feature technical infrastructure, lighting, parks and green spaces, as well as sports facilities along the canal.

Mat Bridge and Hiep An Bridge would be expanded, while Ba Tang Bridge would be rebuilt entirely.

In Binh Dong Ward, the plan also calls for construction of the 30-meter-wide D8 Road along the southern bank of Doi Canal and the 14-meter-wide D7 Road.

The four projects are scheduled for implementation from 2026 through 2031 or 2032.

During the 2026-27 period, the city plans to focus on investment preparation, approval of pre-feasibility and feasibility study reports, compensation and site clearance, and resettlement arrangements.

Construction bidding and works along the entire corridor are expected to take place from 2028 to 2030, with the projects targeted for completion in 2031 or 2032.