A proposed sea bridge will reduce the travel time between Cần Giờ and the former Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province to just 10 minutes. Photo congan.com.vn

HCM CITY — Vingroup has submitted a proposal to the HCM City People’s Committee seeking approval to study and build a sea bridge from the coastal commune of Cần Giờ to the Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu area under a build–transfer model.

Both Cần Giờ and the formerly province Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu, recently merged with HCM City, are coastal areas of strategic importance in terms of the marine economy, seaports, tourism and ecological urban development, but transport links between them remain limited and largely dependent on ferry services and long roundabout routes.

Vingroup said in its proposal that a bridge across the sea would significantly shorten travel time, enhance regional connectivity, and create a strong impetus for socio-economic growth, trade and the expansion of sustainable urban space.

The former Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province, despite its considerable advantages, has yet to fully unlock its development potential, particularly in terms of ports.

One of the main constraints has been the inadequate road connectivity with HCM City and the rest of the southeast.

National Highway No.51 is the main route linking Vũng Tàu and Đồng Nai with HCM City, traffic on it far exceeds design capacity.

To reach the city, vehicles must travel via the HCM City–Long Thành–Dầu Giây Expressway or take the Cát Lái Ferry, both of which are overloaded and frequently congested, especially during weekends and holidays.

In 2021 the Vũng Tàu–Cần Giờ sea ferry was launched to facilitate transport between the two coastal areas, but users often face long waiting times and fares for both passengers and vehicles are relatively high.

Unpredictable marine weather also poses operational challenges, limiting the ferry’s convenience mainly to people living near Cần Giờ, with most others still preferring the longer National Highway No.51 route.

In March 2025, the city's Department of Public Works (now the Department of Construction) conducted preliminary studies on potential investment options for a southern coastal road within the city.

One of them was a main route connecting the city’s southern coastal area with Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu through a sea-crossing bridge from Cần Giờ, which will mean vehicles travelling from HCM City to Vũng Tàu will pass through Cần Giờ, transforming the commune into a new transit hub.

Visitors from Vũng Tàu can also easily reach Cần Giờ for leisure and eco-tourism activities, boosting inter-regional tourism and creating a vibrant coastal corridor.

Cần Giờ is currently witnessing major infrastructure investment.

The Cần Giờ Reclaimed Tourism Urban Area Project, with an investment of around VNĐ217 trillion (US$8.5 billion), got underway in April 2025.

Other key transport projects such as the Rừng Sác interchange connecting with the Bến Lức–Long Thành Expressway, the Cần Giờ Bridge and a high-speed railway line are all being studied.

If approved, the proposed sea bridge could become one of the most iconic infrastructure projects in southern Việt Nam, symbolising a new phase of regional integration and coastal development. — VNS