Nhon Trach new urban area: Driving force for the Southeast region

With its strategic location, linking many regional development spaces, Nhon Trach new urban area is proposed with a vision to 2045 to serve as a driving urban area in the Southeast region.

Nhon Trach new urban area is proposed with a development vision to become a driving urban area in the Southeast region

Linking regional development spaces

Nhon Trach new urban area is located at the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City, holding a strategic position within the Southern key economic region. The area has favorable conditions to develop into an inter-regional hub for transportation, industry, and logistics. It is surrounded by a network of major rivers and directly connected to national and regional infrastructure projects, including Long Thanh International Airport, the Cai Mep - Thi Vai seaport cluster, expressways, ring roads, and bridges linking to Ho Chi Minh City.

Since 1996, Nhon Trach has been oriented for development as a new urban area. After nearly three decades, Nhon Trach new urban area has laid the initial foundations for growth; however, the pace of urbanization has not kept pace with the region’s evolving demands and development trends. In light of increasingly evident drivers of regional connectivity, Dong Nai province is implementing the General Planning Adjustment Project for Nhon Trach new urban area through 2045.

In the Draft of the General Planning Adjustment Project for Nhon Trach new urban area through 2045, the consulting unit assessed that, given its strategic location, Nhon Trach new urban area plays a connecting role in regional development.

For the Southeast region, Nhon Trach new urban area is located at the intersection of three regional economic corridors: the North-South corridor, the Moc Bai - Ho Chi Minh City - Bien Hoa - Vung Tau economic corridor, and the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay - Central Highlands corridor. As such, Nhon Trach new urban area is oriented to develop into a driving urban center in the Southeast, playing an essential role in the urban network of the Southern key economic region.

For the southwestern gateway of Dong Nai province, Nhon Trach new urban area holds a geographically strategic position, closely linked to Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh Airport, and key transportation axes, enhancing regional accessibility and population absorption capacity.

Within the Long Thanh Airport urban zone, Nhon Trach new urban area lies along the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Bien Hoa - Vung Tau axis and stands to benefit from the development of Long Thanh Airport and the Cai Mep - Thi Vai Seaport.

Leveraging development momentum from infrastructure breakthroughs

According to the consulting unit's assessment, one of the biggest "bottlenecks" that has hindered the development of Nhon Trach new urban area for many years is the delay in implementing regional connecting infrastructure, despite it having long been part of strategic planning. Major transportation projects with the potential to strongly connect Nhon Trach with other urban centers, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, are still under construction.

In this context, the fact that several regional connectivity projects have either been completed, are nearing completion, or have recently begun construction is expected to create a breakthrough in the development of Nhon Trach new urban area.

In August 2025, Component Project 1A, Tan Van - Nhon Trach section, phase 1 of Ring Road 3 - Ho Chi Minh City was officially put into operation. This initiative is a transportation route directly connecting Nhon Trach new urban area with Ho Chi Minh City, helping to shorten travel time from this urban area to Ho Chi Minh City.

The General Planning Adjustment Project for the Nhon Trach new urban area through 2045 was researched and developed, encompassing a natural area of more than 37,600 hectares and covering the entire administrative boundaries of three communes: Nhon Trach, Dai Phuoc, and Phuoc An in Dong Nai province.

In mid-January 2026, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cat Lai Bridge Construction Investment Project, one of the key transport infrastructure projects connecting the new Nhon Trach urban area with Ho Chi Minh City, was held. The project is highly anticipated to create a breakthrough in development for the Nhon Trach new urban area.

Speaking at the project's groundbreaking ceremony, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Ha assessed: Cat Lai Bridge holds particularly significant meaning in the development strategy of the new Nhon Trach urban area. When the project is completed, Nhon Trach will be directly and conveniently connected to Ho Chi Minh City, gradually promoting its role as a satellite city, serving as an industrial - service - logistics center linked to Long Thanh Airport.

According to the plan, the entire Ring Road 3 - Ho Chi Minh City Project, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, and provincial roads 25B and 25C will be completed and put into operation in 2026. In addition, the Phuoc An Bridge Project will also be completed in 2027. With a series of regional connecting transport infrastructure projects preparing to "cross the finish line," the new Nhon Trach urban area is truly standing at a moment of breakthrough development.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho