Removing "bottlenecks" at key connectivity projects

The projects to build the Ma Da Bridge and the connecting road from the Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection play an important role in establishing a transport corridor linking the northern and southern parts of the city. These projects will open up new development opportunities and strengthen connections between areas of Dong Nai, logistics centers, seaports and Long Thanh International Airport.

Test piling work underway on the project to build the connecting road from Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection.

Given their importance, relevant agencies have been instructed to urgently address obstacles to the connectivity projects and accelerate construction.

Bottlenecks in project implementation

Construction of Ma Da Bridge officially began in September 2025. However, work has been suspended in recent months to revise the feasibility study report and investment policy, including increasing the bridge's capacity from four to eight lanes.

According to the city's Transport Construction Investment Project Management Board, in June 2026, the Dong Nai City People's Committee issued a decision approving an adjustment to the investment policy for the Ma Da Bridge Construction Project. In August 2026, the committee also approved adjustments to the project's feasibility study report. Following these adjustments, the project management board arranged for a revised design to be prepared. However, the adjustments have also given rise to difficulties during project implementation.

The Ma Da Bridge Construction Project, including its approach roads, will be 583 meters long and 33.5 meters wide, with eight traffic lanes and a 1.5-meter-wide central median. The project to build the connecting road from Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection will be approximately 13 kilometers long and designed as an elevated roadway supported by viaduct structures, with eight lanes.

Nguyen Linh, Deputy Director of the city's Transport Construction Investment Project Management Board, said that increasing the number of lanes from four to eight had changed the scope, scale and volume of work under the construction contract compared with the original agreement. In addition, construction costs under the revised plan exceed the value of the existing contract, making it necessary to review the situation and determine how to handle the signed contract.

For the project to build the connecting road from Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection, Component Project 1 of the investment project for the road linking Ma Da Bridge to Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4, construction contractors began work on their respective packages after the project broke ground in late June 2026. To date, contractors have carried out test piling, while the investor has been preparing the construction design for implementation following project approval. However, obstacles have also emerged during the process.

Specifically, according to the city's Transport Construction Investment Project Management Board, the Phu Ly Commune People's Committee has issued an in-principle agreement to receive surplus excavated soil and waste materials from the project at a public land plot covering more than 0.8 hectares, with a receiving capacity of approximately 16,000 cubic meters. Nevertheless, about 127,000 cubic meters of surplus excavated soil, mud and waste materials remain without an identified disposal site. Meanwhile, the Tan Loi Commune People's Committee, the Tri An Ward authorities and the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve have issued written responses stating that they are unable to receive the materials.

Accelerating work to meet project deadlines

Ma Da Bridge is a key link connecting Road 753 with Roads 761 and 767, as well as Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 4. The road connecting Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection, meanwhile, forms part of the route linking Ma Da Bridge with Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4. These projects are intended to establish an integrated and continuous transport corridor connecting the northern and southern parts of Dong Nai City.

According to the city's Transport Construction Investment Project Management Board, the board has recently worked with relevant parties to review and confirm the volume of work carried out, while also negotiating and reaching agreement on matters related to contract handling.

On October 22, during an on-site inspection and working session with relevant agencies, Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Dong Nai City People's Committee, assessed that progress on the Ma Da Bridge project and the connecting road from Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection remained slow. He said efforts to finalize design documentation, address waste disposal site issues and make project adjustments had yet to meet requirements. He stressed that the relevant agencies must accelerate implementation, focusing their efforts on speeding up any stage that was behind schedule.

For the Ma Da Bridge Construction Project, Chairman Nguyen Van Ut instructed the city's Transport Construction Investment Project Management Board to urgently and fully resolve outstanding issues related to the previously signed construction contract. The goal is to restart the project and resume construction in December 2026.

For the road connecting Ma Da Bridge to the Ba Hao intersection, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is responsible for guiding the relevant agencies in resolving the waste disposal site issue, thereby facilitating faster construction progress.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho