Special elevated road traversing primeval forest

Construction has officially started on a13-kilometre section of the road connecting Ma Da Bridge—formerly bordering Binh Phuoc Province—to the Ba Hao T-junction, part of the project linking Ma Da Bridge with Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4. What makes this stretch unique is that it runs entirely through a primeval forest.

Noise barrier systems are installed on both sides of the elevated road.

A green infrastructure project

Component Project 1, covering the road from Ma Da Bridge to Ba Hao T-junction, forms part of the larger Ma Da Bridge–Ring Road 4 connection project. The project is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company serving as the investor.

As the entire route traverses the primeval forest within the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, the route has been designed as a fully elevated road.

According to the investor, because the route passes through the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve — located within the core zone of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO in 2011 and designated an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2025 — the project adopts a continuous multi-span viaduct design without bearings. Each structure consists of six spans with a total length of 240 metres and is elevated 9-12 metres above the natural ground. “This solution creates an open ecological corridor beneath the structure, ensuring the safe movement of wildlife while preserving green cover and supporting the regeneration and sustainable growth of the forest vegetation below,” said Nguyen Hoang Tue, Deputy General Director of Truong Hai Group Corporation (THACO)  and General Director of Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company.

The route is designed to be 9–12 meters higher than the natural terrain, ensuring the safe movement of wild animals.

Nguyen Hoang Tue added that, with a strong commitment to conservation, the company approached the project with great caution and responsibility immediately after receiving investment approval. It also sought recommendations from biodiversity experts, scientists, government agencies, research institutes and universities to identify the optimal design solution for the project.

Component Project 1 is the first project in Vietnam to apply balanced cantilever segmental bridge construction technology, which helps reduce material consumption and carbon emissions while meeting green building standards and minimizing impacts on the protected ecosystem. Under this construction method, only bored piles and pier foundations will be built on site. All bridge piers and girder segments will be prefabricated at an off-site factory to ensure consistent quality, uniformity and aesthetic appeal while maintaining cost efficiency. “The precast component factory is located about five kilometres outside the reserve, facilitating transportation and installation at the construction site while shortening the construction schedule,” Nguyen Hoang Tue said.

According to City Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Ho Van Ha, the commencement of Component Project 1 fulfills the long-standing aspirations of local residents by restoring transport connectivity and facilitating travel and trade between the former Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces, and now between the northern and southern parts of the Dong Nai City.

A strategic spatial development corridor

Following the administrative reorganization and merger of provinces, one of Dong Nai City's biggest challenges has been limited transport connectivity between its northern and southern parts.

To address this bottleneck, Dong NaiCity has planned and launched the Ma Da Bridge–HoChi Minh City’s Ring Road 4 connection project.

City Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Ho Van Ha described the project as a key component of Dong Nai City's long-term spatial development strategy. Once completed, the transport corridor will not only provide direct connectivity between the northern and southern parts of the city but also establish a comprehensive inter-regional route linking the Central Highlands with Dong Nai City before extending to Long Thanh International Airport and the Cai Mep–Thi Vai deep-water port complex.The project is expected to open up new development space, strengthen connections between different parts of Dong Nai and major logistics hubs, seaports and Long Thanh International Airport. “This corridor will connect major growth poles, create new opportunities for industrial, tourism and urban development, maximize land-use potential, attract investment and enhance Dong Nai City's competitiveness for decades to come,” Ho Van Ha emphasized.

Associate Professor Tran Quang Phu, Vice Rector of University of TransportHo Chi Minh City, noted that the transport route connecting Dong Xoai to Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4 via Provincial Road DT753, Ma Da Bridge and the connecting road to Ring Road 4 will become one of the city's most important transport arteries, linking its northern and southern parts.

By Pham Tung - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha