The sea bridge will make Can Gio a transportation gateway for the southern region.

Strategic infrastructure projects are gradually transforming Can Gio from a land where crossing the river required relying on ferries into an infrastructure and tourism hub, expected to welcome approximately 40 million tourists per year.

Vinhomes Green Paradise, a reclaimed land urban area, is a hub of super infrastructure: high-speed railway, Can Gio Bridge, sea crossing road, coastal road, Ben Luc - Long Thanh - Rung Sac interchange, Can Gio - Cai Mep port cluster… - Content: DUC PHU - Graphics: TAN DAT

Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Cong Vinh recently signed a document implementing Conclusion No. 242 of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee on the policy of implementing the Can Gio - Vung Tau sea-crossing road construction project using the public-private partnership (PPP) method, BT (build-transfer) contract.

Following the directive, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee assigned the Department of Finance to take the lead and coordinate with relevant departments, agencies, and units to organize and implement the content, requirements, and schedule as concluded by the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee; and to act as the focal point for monitoring and urging the implementation process.

What is the design of the Can Gio - Vung Tau sea crossing?

According to transportation experts, the Can Gio - Vung Tau sea route not only solves the problem of connecting Ho Chi Minh City after the merger, but also demonstrates the determination to create iconic infrastructure, affirming the ability to master infrastructure projects with high scientific and technological content.

The project will directly connect the densely populated tourism, economic , cultural, and administrative centers on both sides of Ghenh Rai Bay, including Can Gio and Vung Tau. Importantly, this is also a strategic project connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the region and creating new momentum for the city to break through and take off in the next phase of development.

According to the pre-feasibility study report prepared by Vingroup , the sea-crossing road will have its starting point at Bien Dong 2 Road, Can Gio reclaimed land urban area (Can Gio commune), and its end point at the intersection of the planned Mai Sao - Ben Dinh road and 30/4 road, Tam Thang ward.

In terms of scale, the project has a total length of over 14km with 6 lanes and a design speed of 80km/h. Of this, the bridge and road section is approximately 11km long, while the underwater tunnel section is 3.1km long (2.1km submerged tunnel, 390m enclosed tunnel, and 610m open tunnel). Two artificial islands will be constructed in the transition area from the bridge to the tunnel.

This option has many advantages such as the shortest route length, the shortest construction time, reduced impact on maritime traffic, and no impact on the future operation of Go Gang airport.

According to the feasibility study, immersed tunnel technology is currently widely used worldwide. For example, the longest immersed tunnel currently in operation is the Fehmarnbelt (connecting Denmark and Germany), which is 17.6 km long and 42.2 m wide. In Vietnam, only the Thu Thiem tunnel (1,490 m long, 4 lanes) has been built and is in operation.

Regarding the construction process, the sealed tunnel sections are cast in a casting basin. After completion, water is used to flood the basin, floating the sealed tunnel sections, which have been sealed at both ends. Then, ships and boats are used to tow and pull them to the installation location. There, water is pumped into pre-installed tanks within the tunnel to submerge it into position.

According to the Transport Design and Consulting Corporation (the consulting unit that prepared the pre-feasibility study report), the immersed tunnel combined with a bridge has the advantage of having a shallow tunnel close to the ground, reducing tunnel length, construction investment costs, and operating costs. The tunnel structure can be domestically produced, and the construction process is straightforward.

The proposed sea-crossing road project, to be implemented under the BT (Build-Transfer) model, is expected to commence in June 2026 and be completed in the second quarter of 2029. Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has established a council to appraise the investment proposal report in order to proceed with the next steps.

Traveling from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to Can Gio via Vung Tau is no longer far.

The Can Gio - Vung Tau sea tunnel project, connecting the two shores of Ghenh Rai Bay, will be an important link in the journey of connecting Ho Chi Minh City's coastal road with the national coastal road - Photo: TEDI

Key projects such as the Vinhomes Green Paradise coastal tourism urban area, the Can Gio bridge, the Rung Sac interchange connecting to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, and the sea-crossing road will strongly promote tourism in Can Gio, shift the local economic structure, and create momentum for comprehensive socio-economic development in the region in the near future.

Overall, the project implementation roadmap shows that the transportation framework connecting to Can Gio will be basically completed by 2028-2029. From then on, the road to Can Gio will no longer be far, and this area will also become an important transportation gateway for the entire Southern region.

Regarding the specific progress, the Ben Thanh - Can Gio railway line broke ground on December 19, 2025, and is expected to be completed and commercially operational in the fourth quarter of 2028. This railway line will allow people to travel from the city center to Can Gio in only about 20 minutes.

Perspective view of Can Gio Bridge - Photo: Masterise

Regarding the Can Gio Bridge, the investor, Masterise Group, is accelerating implementation and is expected to complete it in 2029. The bridge will facilitate trade and travel for people, shortening the travel time from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to Can Gio beach to 40-50 minutes, instead of 2-3 hours as it is currently.

In addition, Ho Chi Minh City is preparing to start construction of the Rung Sac interchange connecting to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, which is expected to be completed in 2028.

This project will help people in the Western and Southeastern regions of Vietnam access Can Gio more quickly via ring roads and expressways, eliminating the need to detour through multiple inner-city routes.

Perspective view of the Rung Sac interchange connecting to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway - Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction.

It can be said that strategic infrastructure projects are gradually transforming Can Gio from a place where crossing the river required relying on ferries into a new infrastructure hub and growth pole of Ho Chi Minh City, expected to welcome approximately 40 million tourists per year.

Can Gio will also become a symbol of prosperity and the determination to modernize infrastructure for the happiness of its people, as outlined in the resolution of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress.

DUC PHU - CHAU TUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/duong-vuot-bien-se-dua-can-gio-tro-thanh-cua-ngo-giao-thong-cua-khu-vuc-phia-nam-2026012312503847.htm