HCMC and Dong Nai province speed up construction of Cat Lai Bridge

After completion and putting into operations, Cat Lai Bridge connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the provincial road No. 25C of Dong Nai and future Long Thanh International Airport will contribute reducing a high volume of vehicles and traffic congestion for the Ho Chi Minh City- Long Thanh and Dau Giay Expressway on normal days and the holidays. 

Pursuant to the Government Office's Notice No. 51/TB-VPCP, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue agreed to assign Dong Nai province to be the project investor and work with the Ministry of Transport and Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee over the project in accordance with the current regulations through considering the investment scale, schedule and forms. 

Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued the Document No. 631 / TTg-CN on of transportation development planning of Ho Chi Minh City until 2020 and a vision after 2020, of which was agreement on building the bridge to replace current Cat Lai ferry.

On this basis, Dong Nai province proposed the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to undertake the construction of 623 meter length and 60 meter- cross-sectional dimension for road section leading to the bridge in Ho Chi Minh City with a cost of VND 755 billion (US$ 32.5 million) from the city's budget packet or the form of land fund exploitation in the period of 2020-2024. Of which, the construction is estimated at about VND 215 billion (US$ 9.3 million), site clearance is about VND 540 billion (US$ 23.2 million). 

Whereas, the road section leading to the bridge in Dong Nai province has total length of 263 meters and cross-sectional dimension of 56 meters, with total investment of VND 410 billion (US$ 17.6 million) including VND 134 billion (US$ 5.8 million) for construction and around VND 276 billion (US$ 11.9 million) for site clearance through the provincial budget packet or under form of land fund exploitation. 

The main bridge and road sections leading to the bridge are invested at VND 4,900 billion (US$ 211 million). The Provincial People’s Committee is proposed as a competent state agency to implement the project under Build–operate–transfer (BOT).

In case of the unfeasible implementation under BOT format, the whole project is expected to execute under BOT in combination with Built- transfer (BT), and executive time of 2019- 2024. 

The Cat Lai bridge construction project has total length of 4.5 kilometers running from My Thuy intersection on Nguyen Thi Dinh Street in District 2 to Ly Thai To Street in Nhon Trach urban area, Phu Huu commune, Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai province. 

The bridge is designed two- tower cable stayed shape with six lanes for motor vehicles and three mixed lanes, 60 meter- cross-sectional dimension, navigational clearance for road bridge of H=55m, B=250m, a maximum speed of 80 kilometers an hour. 

Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen agreed with the proposal of Dong Nai province, and he said that Ho Chi Minh City's relevant departments and agencies would select investment forms suitable with the two localities to report to the central government and the Prime Minister for consideration, decision and early implementation of the project.