On the morning of February 2, 2026, at the Ben Nghe sluice gate site, an operational inspection of the Ben Nghe tidal control structure was conducted alongside the official restart of the Tidal Flood Risk Management Project in Ho Chi Minh City – Phase 1 (Taking Climate Change Factors into Account), following a prolonged hiatus to resolve legal bottlenecks. This event marks a critical turning point for this key infrastructure project, rekindling hopes for the early completion of the “steel shield” designed to protect a 570 $\text{km}^2$ area inhabited by approximately 6.5 million residents.
Legal Bottlenecks Resolved
Following extensive negotiations and coordination among the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, relevant municipal departments, and the investor (Trungnam Group), core issues regarding payment schemes and contract extension timelines have been substantially settled. The resumption of this 10,000-billion-VND tidal flood control project in early 2026 demonstrates the strong political commitment of the municipal government as well as the perseverance and steadfast execution capacity of the investor.
During the site inspection, Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, expressed his enthusiasm upon witnessing the resumption of active construction work on-site. He highly commended Trungnam Group’s efforts in maintaining and preserving equipment during the suspension period, while emphasizing that this is a critical window of opportunity to accelerate execution and compensate for previous schedule delays.
Commitment to Target Completion in 2026
Reporting to municipal leaders, Mr. Nguyen Tam Tien, General Director of Trungnam Group, affirmed that all necessary resources, plant, equipment, and workforce have been fully mobilized to restore full-capacity construction operations immediately.
With physical progress exceeding 90% completion, the remaining scope primarily comprises mechanical works, sluice gate installation, and system commissioning/testing. The investor committed to maintaining close coordination with relevant authorities, aiming to finalize construction, complete testing, and commission the system into operation within 2026 to fulfill the long-awaited expectations of the city’s residents.
Project Overview & Key Parameters
- Scope of Work: Construction of 06 major tidal control sluice gates (clear span widths ranging from 40m to 60m), approximately 6.004 km of riverbank dikes along the Saigon River, 43 minor culverts/sluices, and an integrated SCADA system.
- Total Investment Capital: 9,976.823 billion VND.
- Investor: Trung Nam Construction Investment Joint Stock Company (Trungnam Group).
- Project Company (SPV): Trung Nam BT 1547 Company Limited.
- Investment Model: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under a Build-Transfer (BT) Contract.
Trungnam E&C, a subsidiary of Trungnam Group, serves as the primary EPC/general contractor for the project. As of November 28, 2023, physical construction progress had exceeded 90%, with cumulative capital disbursement reaching 8,276.052 billion VND (equivalent to 82.96% of the original total investment budget).
