Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh launches groundbreaking for Cat Lai Bridge project

On January 15, Dong Nai held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cat Lai Bridge Construction and Investment Project, which will connect Dong Nai province with Ho Chi Minh City. This is part of the program of holding construction commencement, groundbreaking, and technical traffic opening ceremonies for projects in the province to celebrate the 14th National Party Congress.

Attending the groundbreaking ceremony were comrades Mai Van Chinh, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister (PM); Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Construction; Vu Hong Van, Secretary of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Dong Nai National Assembly Delegation; Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of Dong Nai People’s Committee; Major General Nguyen Duc Hai, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Director of Dong Nai Provincial Public Security; Ho Van Ha, Member of the Provincial Party Committee (PPC) and Vice Chairman of Dong Nai People’s Committee, along with leaders of several departments, sectors and localities of Dong Nai province and Ho Chi Minh City.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh (center); Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Dong Nai National Assembly Delegation Vu Hong Van (fifth from left), and other delegates press the button to launch the Cat Lai Bridge Construction and Investment Project. Photo: Pham Tung

At the ceremony, Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh officially gave the order to start construction of the Cat Lai Bridge Project. According to comrade Mai Van Chinh, the Party and the State have consistently identified the development of synchronous and modern infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, as one of the foremost strategic breakthroughs to promote rapid and sustainable growth, enhance national competitiveness, strengthen regional connectivity, and maximize the effectiveness of development drivers.

“Party General Secretary To Lam has repeatedly emphasized that national development in the new period must be placed within the overall framework of national and regional development space. Transport infrastructure development must go one step ahead, creating substantive linkages among localities, overcoming fragmented, localized and poorly connected development,” comrade Mai Van Chinh said.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cat Lai Bridge Construction and Investment Project. Photo: Pham Tung

In that spirit, the groundbreaking of the Cat Lai Bridge Project is of great significance, demonstrating the political determination and concrete actions of Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province in realizing the policy of developing linkages in the Southeast region, and in closely connecting the country’s largest economic center with the eastern gateway of the region.

The Cat Lai Bridge is not merely a standalone transport work but a strategic connectivity axis, contributing to the completion of the inter-regional transport network, strengthening linkages between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, and effectively connecting with Long Thanh International Airport, the seaport system, industrial parks, urban areas and key national transport corridors.

The investment in the construction of Cat Lai Bridge will bring many practical benefits in line with the direction of Party General Secretary To Lam that connectivity must create new value and new drivers, not merely spatial linkage. The Cat Lai Bridge Project is also a vivid demonstration of the mindset of joint planning – joint investment – joint development – shared benefits, in line with regional development requirements in the new period.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh; Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Dong Nai National Assembly Delegation Vu Hong Van, and other delegates inspect the project site. Photo: Pham Tung

Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh requested that relevant agencies and the investor ensure the project is implemented in accordance with regulations; closely coordinate in site clearance and resettlement, ensuring the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of the people; mobilize maximum resources, apply modern technology, and organize construction in a scientific manner; take quality, progress, labor safety and environmental protection as top criteria; and absolutely avoid negativity, waste and losses.

Member of the PPC and Vice Chairman of Dong Nai People’s Committee Ho Van Ha speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cat Lai Bridge Project. Photo: Pham Tung

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Ho Van Ha said Cat Lai Bridge is a project that people in both Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City have been waiting for over the past 30 years. For many years, the Cat Lai ferry route has played an essential connectivity role while also being a major traffic bottleneck, hindering travel, trade, urban development and investment attraction. The implementation of the Cat Lai Bridge Project reflects the very strong political determination of the two localities to fundamentally and decisively resolve a long-standing bottleneck, meeting the legitimate aspirations of the people.

The Cat Lai Bridge Project is of particularly important significance in directly connecting Dong Nai province with Ho Chi Minh City, and is also one of the key connecting axes linking Dong Nai with strategic transport routes of the region such as Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3, the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, and the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, thereby enabling convenient connections to Long Thanh Airport, a national key aviation infrastructure project.

The Cat Lai Bridge Project has a total route length of more than 11.6 km, with a scale of six motorized lanes and two non-motorized lanes; the preliminary total investment is over VND 20 trillion, and construction is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2029. The project is invested under the public–private partnership (PPP) model, with Construction Corporation No.1 Joint Stock Company (CC1) as the leading member of the investor consortium selected to implement the project.

By Pham Tung – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha