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According to the Bank’s website, the objective of this project is to enhance connectivity, traffic safety, and climate resilience of three national highways (NH53, NH62, and NH91B), connecting Tay Ninh Province, Vinh Long Province, Ca Mau Province, and Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta Region.
The project will upgrade and rehabilitate the following three National Highways in the Mekong Delta Region: a. NH53 in Vinh Long province (41 km)b. NH62 in Long An province (69 km)c. NH91B in Can Tho City (141 km) The investments will be made on the existing road alignment, except for two bypass sections which would require a new alignment. The highway improvement activities will include measures to improve climate resilience and keep a strong focus on traffic safety, including a pilot on School Zone Safety (SZS). The civil works will include (i) repairing, upgrading and/or widening of about 43 existing vulnerable bridges to climate resilient standards, and (ii) constructing 26 new bridges, mainly in the bypass section of NH53, to climate resilient standards.
Environmental risks are Substantial, reflecting the scale and complexity of works across more than 251 km of three NHs—including bridge upgrades, widening, and new bypasses—in urban, peri-urban, and rural settings, with reversible but significant construction-related impacts that require robust mitigation and oversight. Key risks include hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation and management (oils, chemicals, bitumen, concrete), air/noise/water/soil pollution, spill/fire risks from camps, asphalt plants, and fuel storage, resource efficiency concerns (licensed, traceable sourcing of aggregates, water, energy), and localized biodiversity impacts in modified habitats near waterways (turbidity, riparian clearance). Cultural heritage sensitivities warrant chance find and vibration/access controls.
The social risk rating is substantial due to the scale and complexity of land acquisition and resettlement, the presence of vulnerable and ethnic minority communities, and community health and safety risks associated with construction and labor influx. The project will acquire approximately 120 hectares of land and impact nearly 4,400 households. Around 239 households will need to be physically relocated, with 129 of them also having to move their businesses. Resettlement impacts will include loss of agricultural land, disruption to livelihoods, impacts on informal users, vendors, tenants, and graves. While many impacts are expected to be partial—often involving fences, yards, crops, or small sections of shops—40 households will lose more than 30 percent of their productive land, requiring targeted livelihood restoration measures.
Total Project Cost:US$ 370.01 million
IBRD Commitment: US$ 251.12 million
CONTACT POINT - World Bank
Task Team Leader: Shigeyuki Sakaki
Title: Senior Transport Specialist
Email: ssakaki@worldbank.org
TTL Contact: Sean Michaels
Job Title: Senior Transport Specialist
Email: smichaels@worldbank.org
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