On the morning of April 29, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board held a technical opening ceremony (phase 1) for some sections of the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len canal infrastructure construction and environmental improvement project.
There are 6 sections of the canal road passing through Binh Tan, District 12 and Go Vap districts that have been technically opened to traffic, contributing to improving traffic connectivity in the area.
In Go Vap district, the three sections of the right bank include a 400 m long section in Ward 14, a 200 m long section located in front of the gate of Huynh Van Nghe Secondary School and Le Quy Don Primary School, and a section from An Loc Bridge to Road No. 28 (Ward 6) 970 m long.
On the left bank, the remaining three sections are also open to traffic, including the section from Ben Phan bridge to An Loc bridge, over 1.5 km long, the section from Vam Thuat culvert to the end of the route, 640 m long, and the section from Nuoc Len culvert to An Lac bridge, 500 m long.
These sections are part of the overall of two canalside routes, each route is more than 30km long, 7 - 12m wide, stretching across 7 districts: Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Tan Binh, District 12, Tan Phu, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh.
When completed, these two routes will become an important traffic axis, similar to the current Hoang Sa and Truong Sa routes along the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal.
Not only creating more open urban space, the project also opens a parallel route to reduce pressure on National Highway 1, making it more convenient to connect districts in the West and Northwest areas of Ho Chi Minh City.
Started in February 2023, the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len canal infrastructure construction and environmental improvement project had a total initial investment of VND 8,200 billion, which was later adjusted to increase to more than VND 9,000 billion.
In addition to the construction of canalside roads, the project also includes many important items such as: Construction of concrete embankments on both sides of canals, dredging the canal bed to improve drainage capacity; construction of 19 drainage culverts, 12 boat docks, 3 bridges across canals; installation of lighting systems and planting trees.
To date, the construction progress of the entire project has reached about 45.9% and is expected to be completed and inaugurated before December 31, 2025.
According to Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board, when completed, the canal will be the main drainage axis for nearly 15,000 hectares of the surrounding area, improving the environment and preventing flooding for a large area in the west of the city.
In addition to reducing traffic pressure on National Highway 1 thanks to two routes along the canal, the project also opens up opportunities for the development of waterway transport, connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Long An through Cho Dem River, as well as Dong Nai and Binh Duong through Saigon River.
