The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has just updated a draft report to solicit opinions from relevant units on the proposal of three options for waterway connection from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh International Airport (Long Thanh airport).

This is to increase connectivity to Long Thanh airport ( Dong Nai ) with Ho Chi Minh City when this airport is completed in 2026.

High-speed train carrying food from the West to Ho Chi Minh City only needs 5th grade.jpg
Ho Chi Minh City plans to use high-speed trains to transport passengers to Long Thanh airport

Option 1: Use high-speed boat to transport goods from Bach Dang Wharf (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) to Swan Bay Marina (Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai Province) with a distance of 22.3km, travel time from 35-45 minutes.

Accordingly, passengers will board the speedboat at Bach Dang wharf (District 1, HCMC) - Saigon River (12.5km) - Dong Nai River (3.5km) - Sau River (Cai River) 6.3km long - SwanBay Marina (Dai Phuoc Island - Nhon Trach - Dong Nai).

From SwanBay Marina, passengers use road vehicles via the connecting route Dai Phuoc Bridge - Ring Road 3 - DT.769C (25B) or DT.769D (25C) - Long Thanh Airport.

Along with that, the road connecting to Long Thanh airport is available through Ly Tu Trong, Nguyen Huu Canh, DT.769C (25B), National Highway 51. In the future, after the Ring Road 3 section from Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway across Dong Nai River intersecting with Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway is completed, travel time will be shortened by 5 - 10 minutes compared to the existing route.

In addition, it is possible to combine for passengers to visit tourism products in the SwanBay area, developing city waterway tourism.

Option 2 : Transport passengers and cars by cross-river passenger wharf from Binh Khanh, Nha Be to Nhon Trach, Dong Nai (build a new bridge on Nhon Trach, Dong Nai side and invest in about 500m of road to the wharf).

This option is considered to help people living in the South and Southeast of the city move to Long Thanh airport conveniently. Road connection via Pham Thai Buong Street, DT.769D Road (25C) to the airport is about 24.75km with a travel time of 40 - 45 minutes. The proposed location for investment in the construction of a new bridge on the Nhon Trach (Dong Nai) side has more convenient road connection than the existing location of the Phu Xuan - Phuoc Khanh river crossing passenger wharf.

Option 3: Increase the operating capacity of the existing Cat Lai ferry.

This plan will help people living in the eastern part of the city to travel to Long Thanh airport conveniently while the Cat Lai bridge is not yet built. Road connection is convenient due to the existing traffic infrastructure.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment , Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Nai province believe that it is necessary to consider the investment plan to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway to 10 lanes instead of 8 lanes.