CaliToday (03/1/2026): For years, the gateway to Cat Lai Port Vietnam’s largest and busiest cargo hub has been synonymous with one thing: gridlock. Now, Ho Chi Minh City authorities are pushing forward a bold plan to finally unclog this economic artery.
In a proposal submitted this week, the city administration has outlined a project to expand the connecting road from Cat Lai Port to the strategic Ring Road 3 (Vành đai 3). The ambitious upgrade involves widening the route to 60 meters with a total investment capital of nearly 8,800 billion VND (approximately $350 million).
The "Black Spot" of Logistics
Cat Lai Port handles a massive percentage of the country’s container volume, yet its surrounding infrastructure has failed to keep pace with double-digit growth. The current access roads, primarily Nguyen Thi Dinh and Dong Van Cong, are perpetually choked by a relentless stream of container trucks. This bottleneck doesn't just frustrate drivers; it bleeds money. Logistics experts estimate that traffic delays in this area cost the economy millions of dollars annually in lost time and fuel.
The new proposal aims to solve this by creating a direct, high-capacity link to Ring Road 3, effectively diverting heavy transport away from inner-city residential zones.
A Strategic Sync with Ring Road 3
The timing of this proposal is crucial. With the construction of Ring Road 3 already underway and accelerating in 2026, creating a seamless connector is vital.
The Plan: The expanded 60-meter corridor is designed to act as a dedicated funnel, allowing goods to flow from the port directly onto the national highway network without clogging local streets.
The Cost: The 8,800 billion VND valuation reflects the complexity of the project, including significant costs for site clearance and modernizing drainage and lighting systems along the route.
Easing the Burden
City officials emphasize that this project is as much about safety as it is about economics. The current mix of heavy container trucks and civilian motorbikes on narrow roads has made the Cat Lai area a notorious "black spot" for traffic accidents. Expanding the road to 60 meters will allow for clearer lane separation, significantly improving safety for local commuters.
If approved, this project could serve as the final piece of the puzzle in modernizing Ho Chi Minh City's eastern logistics cluster, turning a daily traffic nightmare into a streamlined engine for growth.