Van Thanh canal (belonging to Binh Thanh district, formerly Thanh My Tay ward) is nearly 2 km long, stretching from Vo Oanh street to the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal junction.
This canal plays an important role in drainage, reducing flooding for the northeastern gateway area of the city center.
However, for many years, Van Thanh canal has been in a state of encroachment, siltation and serious pollution.
On both sides of the canal are rows of makeshift, dilapidated houses, corrugated iron roofs, and wooden walls erected on skewed wooden piles, causing unsightliness and directly affecting the lives of thousands of households living along the canal.
Notably, only a few dozen meters from the "slums" along the canal are luxury apartment complexes on Ngo Tat To street, creating a clear contrast in urban space.
Parallel to Van Thanh canal, there is also Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) being operated.
After decades of prolonged pollution, in June 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council approved the investment policy for the Van Thanh canal dredging, environmental improvement and infrastructure construction project, with a total investment of more than 8,555 billion VND.
The project is divided into two component projects. In which, the compensation, support, resettlement and site clearance project has a total capital of more than 6,812 billion VND.
A total of 1,077 cases of land acquisition for project implementation, of which 749 households had to be completely relocated.
The project to build and install, dredge canals and build technical infrastructure has a capital of more than 1,743 billion VND.
On January 11, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board (the project investor) said that the component construction project will start construction in early 2027 and be completed in 2029.
The component project of compensation, support, and resettlement will be implemented this year, in order to soon hand over clean ground to promptly start construction according to the plan.
Van Thanh canal will be renovated with the entire main canal line nearly 2 km long and a 275 m long branch.
The canal bed is dredged 3 m deep, expanded 25 - 50 m, and prestressed concrete embankments are built on both sides to protect the banks. Construction of roads along the canal is 6 - 20 m wide.
Phu An bridge will be newly built, 17 m wide; Ngo Tat To street (section from Phu An bridge to Phu My street) will be expanded to 25 m.
A parallel road connecting to the Dien Bien Phu axis will also be formed.
The project also invests in a drainage system, collects wastewater and reserves more than 4.2 hectares of land along the canal as a park and green space.
When completed, the Van Thanh canal renovation project will help clear the flow and collect wastewater to the centralized treatment plant of Ho Chi Minh City.
Not only is it an environmental project, the formation of the Van Thanh canal road will connect with key traffic axes such as Dien Bien Phu, Ngo Tat To, Nguyen Huu Canh, Vo Oanh..., creating a continuous traffic network, helping to increase regional connectivity and reduce traffic congestion at the Northeast gateway.
