Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism gives its opinions on Ma Da bridge construction project

On September 6, the People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province announced that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued an official dispatch No. 4554/BVHTTDL-DSVH dated September 5, 2025, regarding the Ma Da bridge construction project.

The People's Committee of Dong Nai province held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Ma Da Bridge on August 19, 2025. (File photo)

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism states that on August 7, 2025, it received an official dispatch from the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee seeking feedback on the project. The province reported that the Ma Da bridge project received investment policy approval through Decision No. 283/QD-UBND dated July 2, 2025, which was later amended by Decision No. 528/QD-UBND dated July 25, 2025. The Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the project was also approved under Decision No. 541/QD-UBND dated July 27, 2025.

According to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report, the Ma Da Bridge Construction project is implemented in Tri An and Tan Loi communes in Dong Nai province. The site does not overlap with any UNESCO World Heritage Sites, nor with any officially recognized national or special national historical-cultural relics or scenic landscapes. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested that the Dong Nai People’s Committee ensure the accuracy and completeness of all related information and data.

However, if the project implementation lies outside the protected area of the heritage sites but may still negatively impact the original elements constituting the cultural landscape of such sites, the Ministry asks the Dong Nai People’s Committee direct relevant agencies to conduct comprehensive field surveys to clarify the current status and existence of tangible and intangible cultural heritages, including historical-cultural relics, scenic landscapes, intangible cultural heritage, and related cultural spaces, in order to fully and objectively assess any potential impacts of the project on cultural heritage. Based on these assessments, appropriate preservation and promotion measures should be implemented in accordance with cultural heritage laws.

Regarding other aspects related to the implementation of the project, such as environmental impact assessments involving nature reserves, world biosphere reserves, or ASEAN heritage parks, the Ministry requests the Dong Nai People’s Committee to comply with existing environmental protection laws and other applicable legal regulations to seek opinions from the specialized agencies involved to ensure full legal compliance and appropriateness.

On August 19, 2025, the provincial People’s Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ma Da bridge. This is seen as a key infrastructure component in establishing a route connecting from the former Binh Phuoc province via Provincial Road 753, crossing the Ma Da Bridge, to reach the central area of Dong Nai province. It will also connect with various regional routes to form a strategic transportation axis from the Central Highlands to Long Thanh International Airport and the Cai Mep - Thi Vai deep-water port.

By: Pham Tung

Translated by: Hong Van - Thu Ha