HCMC - The Inland Waterway Project Management Board under the Ministry of Transport has proposed investing over VND3.9 trillion to develop water and logistics corridors in the southern region.

The project aims to enhance infrastructure, alleviate congestion, and reduce transportation costs, particularly for routes from the Mekong Delta to HCMC, Dong Nai Province, and the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster. The investment will span multiple provinces, including Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Long An, and Dong Nai. The plan is to upgrade two main waterway corridors: an East-West corridor of about 197 kilometers and a North-South corridor covering around 82 kilometers. The East-West corridor will be improved to accommodate vessels up to 600 tons, including triple-layer container ships operating 24/7. The North-South corridor will be modified for ships as large as 5,000 tons and four-layer container ships. The project is budgeted at over VND3.9 trillion, equivalent to more than US$163 million, with a significant portion allocated to resettlement and construction. Resettlement costs are estimated at VND720 billion, and construction is expected to exceed VND2.2 trillion, with an anticipated implementation period of five years. The World Bank is expected to provide around US$107 million for the project, while the Australian Government provides a grant of over US$580,000, and the Vietnamese Government will co-finance nearly US$56 million.