Long An (VNA)ꦆ – The Mekong Delta province of Long An has been mobilising resources for key transport projects as it views transport infrastructure as an impetus for local development.

During the 2021-2030 period, the locality has prioritised 14 key transport projects, including those with regional connectivity and linked with the six dynamic economic axes. The 76-km Ring Road No. 3 project, running through Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Long An, comprises of eight sub-projects. Among them, the section through Long An stretches 6.84km with a total investment of 4.2 billion VND (165,975 USD). According to Dang Hoang Tuan, Director of the Long An Department of Transport, the section's progress has met the requirements set by the Government with half of the workload completed. The province aims to finish the entire project by 2026, with the interchange connecting to the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway expected to open to traffic by the end of this year. Once operational, the project, along with the Ben Luc-Long Thanh and Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressways, will create strong linkage between Long An, HCM City, and other Southeastern provinces, generating new economic opportunities for northern Ben Luc district and Long An as a whole. In parallel with Ring Road No. 3, Long An has completed a pre-feasibility study report for the Ring Road No. 4 project and sent it to HCM City for summary, Tuan said. Spanning over 200 km, Ring Road No.4 will run through Long An, HCM City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. It is expected to play a crucial role in fostering socio-economic growth of Long An and neighbouring provinces. In addition to these national projects, Long An is advancing key provincial transport initiatives, such as the Tan An city Ring Road, and DT.823D, DT.830E, and DT.827E roads. The Tan An city Ring Road has been put into use, while the others are under construction.

Truong Van Liem, Director of the Long An Department of Planning and Investment, noted that the province has prioritised developing transport infrastructure to attract investment and promote socio-economic growth during 2021-2025 period. In 2024 alone, the province earmarked nearly 2.9 trillion VND to the sector, accounting for 58.23% of its total capital allocation, focusing on regional linkage projects like DT.823D, DT.830E, and Ring Road No.3. Once completed, these projects will help remove roadblocks to transportation and logistics, instill investor confidence, enhance competitiveness, support industrial growth, and spark significant economic breakthroughs for the locality, he said. According to Nguyen Van Ut, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Long An is expected to become a dynamic, effective, and sustainable economic hub in the southern region by 2030 under its master plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The locality targets to become a gateway on the urban-industrial economic corridor of the Mekong Delta and will be closely connected with HMC City and the Southeastern region. By 2050, Long An aims to become the leading industrial province of the country and one of the important economic growth poles of the Mekong Delta. Therefore, along with mechanisms and policies on investment attraction and personnel training, Long An will prioritise resources for key transport projects, especially strategic ones, ensuring their harmony and modernity, and promoting connectivity between the Southeastern and Mekong Delta regions, the official added./.