The Ministry of Transport's Department of Inland Waterways last week signed a US$10 million
joint venture agreement with French Compagnie Nationale De Rhone and Tractebel Engineering for the design and bidding
documents for a transport development project in the northern delta region.
The agreement includes technical designs for Ha Noi-Lach Giang waterway corridor No 3, Day-Ninh Co canal, upgrading Viet Tri Port and supervising the project's phases 1 and 2.
The $201.5 million project, comprising $171.5 million from the World Bank and the remainder from the Vietnamese Government, aims to upgrade main waterway corridors and ports in the region.
This will help improve the efficiency of the region's transport infrastructure, thereby reducing transport costs.
The project will upgrade the northern Viet Tri-Quang Ninh waterway through Duong River, the 259km-Ha Noi-East Sea corridor through Lach Giang River - and the building of ports at Viet Tri and Ninh Phuc.
The project which started in 2009 is expected to be completed by 2015.
The system is expected to contribute to the region's socio-economic development, reduce poverty and generally improve people's lives.
Vietnam News