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The sooner the construction on Cat Lai bridge begins, the more beneficial it will be for both localities

(News Portal – Dong Nai) - The promptly construction of the bridge to replace Cat Lai ferry (named Cat Lai bridge) is not only important in terms of traffic connection but also a driving force to promote many economic fields, especially the development of the logistics industry. 

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At the moment, Dong Nai province and Ho Chi Minh city still has not agreed on the starting date of Cat Lai bridge construction

No agreement in sight 

Recently, the Provincial People's Committee sent a document to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for comments on the plan to link up two localities, in which Cat Lai bridge is listed. In this document, the Provincial People's Committee agreed on the route to build Cat Lai bridge according to the approval of the Prime Minister (May 9, 2017) and the general planning of Nhon Trach urban area with a scale of 6 traffic lanes. In addition, in order to soon decommission the currently overloaded Cat Lai ferry, the Provincial People's Committee proposed an implementation date for this project in the 2021-2025 period.

Once again, in this matter, both localities still have not come to an agreement on Cat Lai bridge construction starting date. This is because in July 2023, in the document soliciting opinions on the traffic connection plan between the two localities, People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City requested the Provincial People's Committee to agree on the time to build Cat Lai bridge which will be after 2030, when the Cat Lai - Phu Huu - Beltway 3 inter-port route has been completed and put into operation (estimated to be from 2026 to 2030).

The reason why the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City proposed this plan is because, currently, the Ministry of Transport is investing in the construction of Nhon Trach bridge (part of component project 1A - Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City Construction Project), with 4 traffic lanes and is planned to have an additional 4 lanes for non-motorized vehicles. The bridge is expected to finish in 2026. Thus, after completing Nhon Trach bridge, it will somewhat help the commuting need between Nhon Trach district (Dong Nai) and Thu Duc city (HCMC).

In addition, Ho Chi Minh City is reviewing the investment policy to construct the Cat Lai - Phu Huu inter-port road, connecting Nguyen Thi Dinh street with the intersection of Beltway 3 - Ho Chi Minh City. The time to complete, and put this project into use is expected to be in the 2026-2030 period. As a result, People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City considers the appropriate time to start the construction of Cat Lai bridge to be the 2026-2030 period.

Transport infrastructure needs to be developed synchronously

The agreement on when to build the Cat Lai bridge will continue to be discussed by Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province. However, many experts believe that the construction of the Cat Lai bridge, the sooner the construction on Cat Lai bridge begins, the more beneficial it will be for both localities.

Dr. Tran Quang Thang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics and Management, believed the fact that localities proposed different times to build Cat Lai bridge might due to them listening to the opinions of consulting units, as well as balancing resources for appropriate investment. In addition, unlike before, currently the construction of Cat Lai bridge is no longer an urgent matter because the Beltway 3 project – Ho Chi Minh City, with the inclusion of Nhon Trach bridge construction, is also under construction.

However, in terms of economic development, the faster the construction of Cat Lai bridge is, the better. Because, according to Dr. Tran Quang Thang, the expansion and building new roads and bridges is vital. For Cat Lai Bridge, its most important purpose is to help transport goods conveniently, so if the construction finishes early, it will promote economic development, especially for the logistics industry. "The more synchronous and complete the transportation infrastructure is, the better the development of the logistics field will be" - Dr. Tran Quang Thang believed.

According to Dr. Pham Viet Thuan, if you want to develop your locality or country, investing in infrastructure is still the best option. If Ho Chi Minh City wants to develop quickly, in addition to focusing on infrastructure development, it also needs to take advantage of new mechanisms to take advantage of capital sources and soon build inter-regional bridges. ​

Author: Vinh Quang

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