Can Gio Sea Bridge - New symbol of Ho Chi Minh City in the future?

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has submitted a plan to build a coastal road in the South of Ho Chi Minh City, including a proposal to invest in a Can Gio sea-crossing bridge connecting to Vung Tau.

According to this plan, the sea-crossing bridge will be included in phase 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City coastal road project, helping to shorten the distance by 40 km compared to the original plan. The total investment for both phases of the project is estimated at more than 62,231 billion VND.

Location of Can Gio sea encroachment urban area, where Can Gio sea bridge is planned to connect with Vung Tau. (Photo: N.Tien)

The idea of ​​the Can Gio sea-crossing bridge was proposed by the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) in 2017 and has been discussed many times. According to the initial design, the bridge is expected to be about 17 km long, with a clearance of 56 m to ensure international ships can enter and exit smoothly. To optimize the connection efficiency, it is necessary to add a synchronous traffic route with a bridge over the Xoai Rap River, connecting Can Gio with Tien Giang and Ben Tre, creating a complete inter-regional traffic network.

Discussing the project, Mr. Le Hoang Chau, Chairman of HoREA, emphasized that with the rapid development of Ho Chi Minh City, the current traffic system such as National Highway 51 or Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway is gradually becoming overloaded. Cat Lai Bridge connecting Thu Duc City with Nhon Trach (Dong Nai) is expected to reduce the load but is only part of the solution. Therefore, Can Gio sea bridge not only solves the traffic problem but also has symbolic meaning, creates a landscape highlight and affirms the strategic vision of the city.

Another favorable factor is that Ho Chi Minh City has implemented the Can Gio sea encroachment urban area project with a scale of more than 2,800 hectares and has been approved to build the Can Gio international transit port. Having an additional sea-crossing bridge will help connect the urban area, seaport and neighboring areas more closely, creating momentum for the development of the marine economy, tourism and services.

In addition to the sea bridge, there was also a proposal to build a sea tunnel connecting Can Gio with Vung Tau, about 25 km long. This idea has been mentioned by experts in many scientific seminars. However, the choice of bridge or tunnel needs to be carefully considered in terms of technical, financial and environmental impact factors.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Tuan Hung, Deputy Director in charge of the Institute of Social Sciences for the Southern Region, assessed that the Can Gio sea bridge could play an important role in developing the marine economy of Ho Chi Minh City. However, when designing, special attention should be paid to the clearance so as not to affect the shipping lanes to deep-water ports in Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

Dr. Vo Kim Cuong, former Deputy Chief Architect of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the proposal to build a Can Gio sea bridge should be considered in the context of many problems in inner-city traffic that still need to be solved. He said that from the idea to the actual implementation is a big gap, requiring careful research on the implementation time, investment resources and overall impact on the city.

The Can Gio sea bridge project has been proposed for eight years but has yet to receive an official decision. However, with changes in traffic planning and urban development pressure, this project continues to be a topic that attracts the attention of the public and experts. If implemented, this will not only be a key traffic project but also a new symbol, promoting the development of Ho Chi Minh City in the future.

Thien Phuc