Land compensation stalls Mekong Delta bridge construction

Eleven families in Tien Giang and one in Vinh Long have not yet handed over their land despite multiple efforts of persuasion by authorities.

Pham Van Trong, vice chairman of Tien Giang Province, told a meeting with the Ministry of Transport Thursday the province would not raise compensation. By May, should these families still refuse the handover, local authorities would impose tougher measures to acquire their land.

Details regarding compensation have not been disclosed.

Construction of My Thuan 2 Bridge started last year and is expected to finish by 2023 to improve traffic connectivity in the Mekong Delta region.

If land clearance is not pushed forward, it would be difficult for the project to complete as planned.

The bridge, linking Tien Giang and Vinh Long, has drawn VND5 trillion ($216 million) from the state budget. It spans 6.6 kilometers and is 350 meters upstream from the My Thuan Bridge on the Tien River, one of two main Mekong branches in Vietnam.

As one of 11 North-South Expressway sections, the bridge will link Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway, scheduled to open to traffic in mid-2021, with My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway, expected to complete by the end of next year.