An Giang’s infrastructure challenge lies in a lack of synchronisation across its transportation networks. The province relies on National Highway 91, which stretches over 91 km but is now overloaded. Furthermore, the weight capacity of many bridges does not align with the national roads, making it difficult for container trucks to navigate, which impacts investment attraction.

Momentum from key projects

In 2024, An Giang hosted several major events related to urban infrastructure, including the announcement of the An Giang Province Master Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the inauguration of the road connecting National Highway 91 and the Long Xuyen Bypass, and the opening of Chau Doc Bridge.

The expressway passing through the province is a great hope for An Giang

The road linking National Highway 91 with the Long Xuyen Bypass is a strategic transportation project that will play a vital role in the socio-economic development of An Giang and the Mekong Delta region. This road has strengthened the connection between different economic zones, boosted tourism development, alleviated congestion in Long Xuyen City, and enhanced the efficiency of goods transportation, thus contributing to regional economic growth.

Chau Doc Bridge, crossing the Hau River and connecting Chau Doc City with Tan Chau Town, has resolved a long-standing transportation bottleneck that had hindered the socio-economic development of both An Giang Province and the Mekong Delta region. Now that the bridge is operational, businesses are pleased to no longer rely on ferries. An Giang also hopes that Tan Chau Bridge, crossing the Tien River and connecting Tan Chau with Hong Ngu Town in Dong Thap Province, will soon be constructed.

Once completed, the Tan Chau and Chau Doc bridges will form a vital link between the provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap, and Kien Giang, connecting to National Highway N1, which will shorten transportation times to Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces, and visa versa.

Expectations from the highway through An Giang

The construction of the Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc Expressway, which passes through An Giang, began in 2023 and has brought significant excitement to local officials, businesses, and residents. This expressway is expected to have a positive impact on the province’s socio-economic development.

Recently, the An Giang People’s Committee launched a campaign to support the “500 days and nights to complete 3,000km of expressways” initiative launched by the prime minister.

Nguyen Huu Khanh, former Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee, analysed that the province still has significant potential but has struggled to attract large domestic and foreign corporations due to its underdeveloped infrastructure. For decades, An Giang has lacked major industrial parks or large factories, leading to a relatively low tax revenue. The expressway represents a golden opportunity to stimulate the province’s economy.

Residents and businesses in Tinh Bien Town are excited as the area houses the National Border Gate and the Xuan To Industrial Park. However, these zones have not yet reached their full potential because of narrow provincial roads, which have not attracted investment.

Previously, investors who surveyed these two zones have withdrawn because the provincial roads were unable to accommodate the large container trucks needed for goods transportation. As such, upgrading Provincial Road 955A and connecting it to the expressway will surely accelerate the development of the Tinh Bien industrial zones.

Tu Son, the owner of Tu Son company in Chau Doc City, shared that after 30 years of distributing goods both locally and outside the province, the biggest obstacle in An Giang is still transportation due to outdated infrastructure, particularly the overloaded National Highway 91. Once the Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc Expressway is completed, it will break the existing transportation bottleneck, boosting the province’s road transport capacity.

Le Trung Hieu, Director of the An Giang Trade and Investment Promotion Centre, affirmed that the expressway will create a breakthrough for the province’s economic and social development, improving transportation capacity, reducing transit times, and ensuring smooth transportation within the province and across regions.

This expressway will also reduce transportation costs, while enhancing connectivity for trade and tourism between provinces and between Vietnam and Cambodia. With such assurances in transportation infrastructure, An Giang hopes to attract significant investment from both domestic and international companies in the industrial, agricultural, and tourism sectors.

According to Ngo Cong Thuc, Vice Chairman of An Giang People’s Committee, the Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc Expressway will form a key transportation route running parallel to National Highway 91 along the Hau River. The province also plans to propose the construction of the Tan Chau-Hong Ngu Bridge and the N1 route in Dong Thap Province, which would link to the Hong Ngu-Tra Vinh Expressway.

Looking ahead, An Giang will collaborate with Dong Thap to invest in National Road 30C, connecting the province’s provincial roads to the Hong Ngu-Tra Vinh Expressway, from Cao Lanh to Dinh Ba Border Gate.

Additionally, upgrading provincial roads to connect with National Highway 80 towards Kien Giang will help form regional transportation corridors, connecting the Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc Expressway, the Hong Ngu-Tra Vinh Expressway, and National Highway 80 to meet road infrastructure needs.

Through these developments, An Giang aims to overcome the challenges posed by its terrain, resolve transportation infrastructure bottlenecks, and lay the foundation for faster and more sustainable socio-economic growth.