Urban infrastructure propels Can Gio to become a new development axis

Once a poorly connected area due to lacking infrastructure, Can Gio is gradually drawing closer to Ho Chi Minh City's center and surrounding regions, thanks to numerous mega-projects, ushering in a new development phase.

From an area with poor connectivity due to inadequate infrastructure, Can Gio is gradually becoming more accessible to Ho Chi Minh City's center and neighboring regions. Numerous mega-projects are opening a new phase of development for the locality.

A view of Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio urban area with brightly lit main avenues at dawn, early May 2026. Photo: VM

Located approximately 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City's center, Can Gio is not geographically distant. For many years, however, infrastructure limitations made connecting the area to the city center difficult. Residents relied almost entirely on the Binh Khanh ferry system and the Vung Tau - Can Gio sea ferry, leading to unstable travel times, especially on weekends and holidays.

This regional landscape is poised for significant change. The area is attracting substantial investment into infrastructure, resolving longstanding bottlenecks.

Rung Sac road and Binh Khanh ferry are the main routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City's center with Can Gio. Photo: Quynh Tran, Giang Anh

Infrastructure magnet

Ho Chi Minh City's urban development plan identifies the southern region, particularly Can Gio, as a coastal expansion area with economic, tourism, ecological, and logistics potential. To harness this potential, a series of infrastructure projects are under study, implementation, or preparing for investment.

Can Gio is undergoing a transformation.

The first major driver for the area is the Ben Thanh - Can Gio metro line. This line, over 50 km long, will connect Ben Thanh, passing through parts of district 4, 7, and the former Nha Be area, before running along Rung Sac to Can Gio. With a design speed of up to 350 km/h, it will reduce current travel time by 90%.

Can Gio connectivity infrastructure. Graphic: Vingroup

This means traveling from Can Gio beach to Ben Thanh market in 13 minutes, faster than from inner-city areas like Binh Thanh or Phu Nhuan. Vingroup is implementing this project, with operations expected to begin in late 2028.

Next is the Can Gio Bridge, a project that will end reliance on ferries. Groundbreaking for the bridge occurred early this year. It is 6,3 km long, including a main bridge spanning the Soai Rap River for nearly 3 km, featuring six lanes, and a total capital of over 13,200 billion VND. The project is expected to be completed in 2029, ensuring continuous traffic flow, halving travel time, and eliminating the area's largest bottleneck.

Once traffic across the Soai Rap River no longer depends on waterways, a large volume of vehicles will head towards Rung Sac road daily. To ensure long-term capacity, this road is slated for an upgrade to 10 lanes (currently six), with implementation planned for the 2028-2029 period.

On the coastal side, a connection road to Vung Tau is expected to break ground in Q2 2026 and be completed two years later. This sea-crossing route, over 14 km long, will link from Bien Dong 2 road in the Can Gio urban area to the 30/4 road area in the former Vung Tau City. The project includes nearly 3 km of approach roads, approximately 8 km of bridge, and 3,1 km of immersed tunnel under the sea.

Perspective of the international transshipment mega-port and the Can Gio - Vung Tau sea-crossing road. Photo: Vietnam Maritime Corporation, Vingroup

Simultaneously, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, nearing completion, also passes through this area. The Can Gio international transshipment mega-port, with a capital of 5 billion USD, is also set for implementation. These projects will not only improve connectivity but also redefine the area's economic role.

According to Troy Griffiths, deputy managing director, Head of Savills Ho Chi Minh City's senior management division, infrastructure is always a market opener in any country. For Can Gio, the emergence of numerous mega-projects will help reshape the urban structure, increase competitiveness, and attract more investment.

Dr. Dinh The Hien, Director of the Institute for Informatics and Applied Economics Research, shares a similar view. He states that factors once considered limitations, such as incomplete infrastructure and low urbanization, are now drivers of future growth. He assesses the next few years as a golden period for infrastructure to boom, leading to the formation of new economic spaces.

Can Gio is changing its appearance with a series of major infrastructure projects set to arrive. Photo: VM

Urban momentum

Not every area can become a destination for large-scale infrastructure projects. The influx of numerous major projects indicates the region's development potential.

Firstly, there is the advantage of its ecosystem. The Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, spanning approximately 75,000 ha and recognized by UNESCO, is one of Southeast Asia's largest mangrove forests. Coupled with a long coastline and a system of rivers and canals, it creates a rare ecological space within a major urban area.

The orientation towards urban expansion to the coast is also a significant driving force. As central and inner-city districts become saturated, Ho Chi Minh City needs new spaces for development.

The master plan until 2030 designates this area to become an ecological urban zone, preserving the biosphere reserve and focusing on developing marine economy, especially transshipment ports, logistics transport, tourism, coastal ecological urban areas, and renewable energy.

A corner of the mangrove ecosystem in Can Gio. Photo: Vingroup

The participation of large investors also contributes to this process. Thousands of hectares of large-scale projects are underway in Can Gio, including integrated ecological urban models featuring tourism, resorts, residences, education, and commerce. These aim to simultaneously leverage natural advantages and infrastructure.

The most prominent is Vinhomes Green Paradise, with a scale of approximately 2,870 ha. This project is in an area directly benefiting from existing and future infrastructure routes, while also complementing the region's service ecosystem.

In the future, the urban area will provide tens of thousands of housing products, along with an ecosystem of golf courses, squares, theaters, hotels, VinWonders amusement park, and large-scale commercial centers.

Hotel amenities, sports center, theater at Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio. Photo: Vingroup

Stephen Higgins, Director of Capital Markets at Cushman and Wakefield Japan, who lived in Vietnam for many years, describes Can Gio as a future "urban marvel." Besides its rare natural advantages, world-class infrastructure is breathing new life into the area. The emergence of urban developments like those by Vinhomes helps leverage these advantages, creating an optimal living environment alongside vibrant economic and commercial activities.

According to economist Dr. Dinh The Hien, Can Gio's greatest advantage lies not only in its 75,000 ha biosphere reserve or its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, but in its international-scale integrated mega-urban area. This model is entirely different from previous Vietnamese urban developments. When connectivity infrastructure and the urban area operate synchronously, Can Gio could welcome 70-80 million visitors annually, far exceeding famous global tourism capitals.

From an area once limited by connectivity, Can Gio is steadily changing its position on Ho Chi Minh City's urban map. As infrastructure projects are implemented, geographical distance is no longer a barrier, opening opportunities for this region to transform into a new development axis.