(VOVworld) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung  hailed the importance of the 3 km cable-stayed Vam Cong Bridge across the Hau River, saying it would stimulate socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta.

Flagging off construction of the US$270 million bridge, he praised the bridge’s role in transport connection between Dong Thap province and Can Tho City to boost trade and foster defense and security. He said infrastructure and energy development would help ensure rapid and sustainable growth in the Mekong Delta: “The Party and State uphold its industrialization and modernization guidelines, especially infrastructure development in the Mekong Delta. This will encourage local provinces to mobilize resources in new rural development in terms of cultural and economic activities.”

The Prime Minister thanked donor countries including Japan, Australia and South Korea for their support in Vietnam’s infrastructure development and hoped to receive more assistance from them.

The bridge is an important part of a major Mekong Delta infrastructure project including Can Tho and Cao Lanh Bridges to facilitate transport in the southern economic hub

The six-lane bridge, which will allow for a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, will open to traffic in 48 months with funding from the South Korean ODA and Vietnamese government.