A project on the construction of a corridor linking the south coast areas of Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces with Cambodia and Thailand is expected to begin next month.

Under the project approved by the Ministry of Transport, the 220km corridor in the Mekong Delta has a total investment of 440 million USD. Of the investment, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed to a 75 million USD loan, the Australian government will provide 25 million USD in non-refundable aid, and the Republic of Korea will provide a preferential loan of more than 246 million USD.

The project will be conducted in two phases, reaching from the Ha Tien border gate in Kien Giang province to the Nam Can marine economic zone in Ca Mau province.

Construction of phase I is expected to finish in late 2013 at a cost of 390 million USD, including construction of a road section from Rach Gia to Ca Mau cities. Phase II will cover construction of road sections in Kien Luong, Hon Dat and Soc Son towns and expansion of National Highway 80 Rach Gia-Kien Giang section.

The corridor is the final section of the 1,000 km international coastal corridor from Bangkok, Thailand to Ca Mau in Vietnam via Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Construction of the section in Thailand has finished and the section in Cambodia is nearly complete.

Apart from the pass-through provinces – Kien Giang and Ca Mau--the project is expected to impact other Mekong Delta localities such as Can Tho City, and An Giang, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces, according to consultancy agencies.

The corridor would contribute to promoting the development of the marine economy and helping in poverty reduction, particularly in coastal areas on the Ca Mau peninsula.

The Kien Giang province People’s Committee has invested in building industrial zones and trade centres along the corridor, awaiting opportunities for development, Tuoi Tre daily on Feb. 22 reported, citing the provincial authorities./.