HCMC seeks sand from Mekong Delta to build ring road

In a report recently sent to the HCMC People's Committee, the department said Ring Road No.3 requires 15 million cubic meters of sand, and it is estimated that the project now lacks 7.2 million cubic meters for the foundation.

The Natural Resources Department proposed getting the sand from rivers flowing through four Mekong Delta provinces.

According to a survey by the department, Tien Giang and Vinh Long provinces can provide 3.6 million cubic meters and the rest can be extracted from Dong Thap and An Giang provinces.

The department has asked the city to write to the four localities regarding the matter.

Many people, however, are of the idea that the project should use sand from elsewhere or come up with other solutions because sand exploitation has for years contributed to erosion in many riverside areas in the Mekong Delta.

HCMC Ring Road No.3 will run more than 90 kilometers (56 miles), including an 8.2-kilometer section in HCMC. It will also pass through Binh Duong, Long An and Dong Nai provinces, all industrial hubs.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered last month that HCMC must finish its section of the road by April 2025.

Since it was approved in 2011, only 16 kilometers have been completed, all in Binh Duong.

HCMC and its neighbors agree that the ring road is necessary to tackle chronic traffic jams in several places.

When finished, it will have eight lanes allowing vehicles to travel at 100 kph.

The road is expected to cost VND75.38 trillion (US$3.2 billion) with funding coming from the government and official development assistance loans.