TOWARDS THE 14TH NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM

Bridges connecting development aspirations

On January 15, Dong Nai province held groundbreaking, commencement, and technical opening ceremonies for seven projects across the province to mark the 14th National Party Congress, including the Cat Lai Bridge and Long Hung Bridge projects.

The Cat Lai Bridge is a key transport infrastructure project linking Dong Nai province with Ho Chi Minh City. In the photo: the area on the Dong Nai side where the Cat Lai Bridge project will be implemented. Photo: Pham Tung

The groundbreaking of the Cat Lai Bridge and Long Hung Bridge marks a significant milestone in completing the investment procedures ahead of construction. Beyond their role as transport infrastructure, the Cat Lai Bridge and Long Hung Bridge symbolize a connection between the development aspirations of Dong Nai province and Ho Chi Minh City.

Fulfilling a long-standing expectation

Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City are neighboring localities situated at the heart of Vietnam's Southeastern region, the country’s most dynamic economic zone. Geographically, the two are divided by rivers, including the Dong Nai River, making river-crossing road bridges essential for transportation connectivity.

Among the planned road bridge projects linking Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City, the Cat Lai Bridge, intended to replace the Cat Lai Ferry, has long been a focal point, not only due to its strategic location but also because of more than three decades of delays and setbacks.

As early as 2003, the Cat Lai Bridge project was approved in principle for investment and construction. However, disagreements between the two localities at the time prevented the project from moving forward.

Nearly 14 years later, in May 2017, the Prime Minister approved an amendment to the Ho Chi Minh City Transport Development Plan for 2020, with a long-term vision extending beyond 2020, as proposed by the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction).

In August 2019, the Prime Minister agreed to assign the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee as the competent authority to implement the Cat Lai Bridge project, replacing the Cat Lai Ferry, under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Nevertheless, various obstacles continued to delay the project.

In this context, a breakthrough came at a working session between the Standing Boards of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee on October 21, 2025. The meeting marks a significant milestone for the Cat Lai Bridge Project, the Long Hung Bridge Project, and many other infrastructure projects connecting the two localities. At this meeting, the leaders of the two localities agreed on a clear roadmap for implementing transportation connectivity projects between the two areas.

According to the concluding statement of this meeting, Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province agreed to identify the Cat Lai Bridge, Long Hung Bridge, and Phu My II Bridge as projects connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh International Airport, shortening the distance from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to the Ba Ria - Vung Tau area. These were classified as urgent projects that need to be implemented soon to serve the operation of Long Thanh Airport, with groundbreaking targeted for the fourth quarter of 2025 or, at the latest, the first quarter of 2026.  

Following this meeting, investment procedures of these projects were accelerated, culminating in the groundbreaking ceremonies.

Nguyen Van Thuan, a resident of Nhon Trach commune in Dong Nai province, shares that the Cat Lai Bridge has been a decades-long expectation for locals, who have experienced repeated disappointment as the project has been announced and postponed many times. “Now that the project is officially breaking ground, I, like many other residents, hope that procedures will move quickly so construction can begin soon, fulfilling a long-held expectation,” he said.

Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Ho Van Ha, described the Cat Lai Bridge as a project eagerly awaited not only by residents of Nhon Trach but also by people in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City. The groundbreaking reflects the strong efforts of both localities to meet public expectations. “The Cat Lai Bridge will significantly improve travel conditions, shorten travel time between Dong Nai province and Ho Chi Minh City, reduce congestion, and ensure traffic safety, thereby improving quality of life and facilitating work, study, and daily activities,” said Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Ha.

Enhancing connectivity, opening new development opportunities

The Cat Lai Bridge is a river crossing connecting the new Nhon Trach urban area with Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, the Long Hung Bridge will connect the Long Thanh urban area with Ho Chi Minh City.

Dong Nai has identified Long Thanh and Nhon Trach as key growth poles, driven by Long Thanh International Airport, the Long Thanh Airport City, and the Dong Nai River. Strengthening connectivity between these areas and Ho Chi Minh City is expected to act as a catalyst, unlocking new development space and maximizing growth potential.

According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Ha, the Cat Lai Bridge will help reduce transport and logistics costs for businesses, thereby improving production and business efficiency, particularly for enterprises in the industrial, service, logistics, and import-export sectors. These are key factors that will enhance Dong Nai’s economic competitiveness amid increasingly deep international integration.

In terms of the investment environment, the Cat Lai Bridge will create new development opportunities, enabling the more efficient use of land resources and promoting the establishment and growth of urban areas, industrial parks, service hubs, and commercial centers along major transportation corridors. This endeavor will enhance Dong Nai’s capacity to attract large-scale, high-tech, and environmentally friendly investments. The project will also contribute to improving regional connectivity by effectively linking Dong Nai with Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh Airport, the seaport system, and other localities in the Southern Key Economic Region, creating spillover effects that benefit not only Dong Nai but also the entire region.

The Cat Lai Bridge and Long Hung Bridge projects are being invested in under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with a total capital of nearly 30 trillion VND. Construction Corporation No. 1 Joint Stock Company is the leading investor in the consortium of investors implementing these projects.

The Cat Lai Bridge is being planned with a total length of approximately 11.6 kilometers, including a 3-kilometer main span. The bridge will have eight lanes and a design speed of 80 km/h. The project will begin at Nguyen Thi Dinh Street in Cat Lai Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, and end in Dai Phuoc Commune, Dong Nai Province.

The Long Hung Bridge project will have a total length of approximately 12 kilometers, including a 2.3-kilometer bridge section that connects National Highway 51 in Tam Phuoc Ward, Dong Nai Province, to the Ring Road 3 of Ho Chi Minh City, in Long Phuoc Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The road will be built with eight lanes and designed for speeds of up to 80 km/h.

On January 15, along with the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Cat Lai and Long Hung bridges, Dong Nai province also conducted a technical opening of the Dong Nai Riverbank Road project. The province also commenced construction of the Nha Bich Bridge on National Highway 14, launched two social housing projects in Phuoc An commune, and a social housing and commercial apartment project in the Long Hung Residential Area, Long Hung Ward, Dong Nai Province.

Similarly, the Long Hung Bridge is regarded as “a critical piece” in completing the road transport network connecting Dong Nai province and Long Thanh International Airport with Ho Chi Minh City. In particular, the project will help link the Long Thanh Airport City with Ho Chi Minh City, realizing the planning vision of a “Twin City” model that closely integrates the two urban areas to form a globally competitive region.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Thuy Trang, Minho