A road project linking Cat Lai and Phu Huu ports in Ho Chi Minh City proposed

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has submitted a pre-feasibility study proposal to the City People's Committee for an inter-port road project connecting Cat Lai and Phu Huu ports to the HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway and the city's Ring Road 3.

The project is expected to create a synchronized traffic axis, significantly easing congestion pressure at the city’s largest seaport gateway.

Under the proposal, the inter-port road will span approximately 5.9 km with a 60-meter-wide cross-section.

The route begins at the intersection with Nguyen Thi Dinh Street and terminates at the junction of the HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway and the city's Ring Road 3.

Key infrastructure includes the construction of the 10-lane Ba Cua Bridge. Notably, the segment from Phu Huu Port to the expressway and Ring Road 3 interchange will feature a four-lane viaduct, integrated with three ramps connecting to the ground-level road system.

The project is slated to be funded by the state budget with a total investment of nearly VND8.8 trillion (nearly $335 million). If the proposal is approved in the first quarter of 2026, construction is expected to commence in the third quarter of the same year and to be completed by late 2028.

According to the Department of Construction, the Cat Lai – Phu Huu port cluster along the Dong Nai River is a critical hub, playing a vital role in the import-export activities of both the city and the Southern Key Economic Zone. However, vehicles currently entering and exiting these ports must rely on existing routes such as Nguyen Duy Trinh, Nguyen Thi Dinh, Vo Chi Cong, Dong Van Cong, and Mai Chi Tho to connect to the Hanoi Highway and the HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway.

These current routes are frequently overloaded, resulting in severe and widespread gridlock. Prolonged traffic jams not only hamper port operations but also drive up logistics costs and reduce the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods. Furthermore, the congestion poses safety risks and negatively impacts the daily lives of local residents as well as the city’s broader socio-economic development.