With a coastline of 700 kilometres and 28,000 kilometres ofcriss-crossed canals, accounting for 70 percent of inland waterwaysnationwide, the delta boasts great potential to develop its marinetransport.
The ministry’s plan aims to develop asystem of seaports in the region which are capable of accommodatingheavily-loaded containers.
In the foreseeablefuture, the Can Tho port will be expanded to carry 650,000 tonnes ofgoods per year and receive 10,000-tonne ships.
Thesecond phase of the Cai Cui port in Can Tho city will be carried outwith the construction of four wharves able to accommodate 10,000-20,000tonne ships and handle a maximum of 2.5 million tonnes of goodsannually.
A 34km canal connecting the port to thesea is under construction, and once completed, the project is expectedto help reduce transport costs and ease overloading at the waterway andland sections connecting the delta with Ho Chi Minh City .
The plan also envisions the upgrading of several sections of domesticwaterways, including corridors from Ho Chi Minh City to Kien Giang andCa Mau provinces, as well as building freight and passenger ports.
Can Tho city in particular is building an international waterway onthe Hau River, upgrading the Can Tho and Tra Noc ports, and buildingcargo wharves to serve 7,500-tonne ships at Tra Noc port.
To promote economic growth in Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Dong Thap and VinhLong provinces, routes will be opened on Tien River for sea vessels withloading capacities of 7,000-8,000 tonnes to pass, while waterway routesconnecting Ho Chi Minh City with ports in the Mekong Delta as well assea ports will be upgraded, according to the plan.-VNA