Vingroup breaks ground on a 14 km sea crossing: the premises for siting in the south are changing

On July 1, 2026, Ho Chi Minh City broke ground on a crossing road connecting Can Gio and Vung Tau directly by sea. The developer is Vingroup, Vietnam's largest private conglomerate. Total project cost is about VND 93 trillion (about 3.54 billion dollars, assuming 1 dollar ≈ VND 26,000), and the roughly 14.1 km route, including a sea bridge of over 8 km and a 3.85 km undersea tunnel, is planned to be completed within three years of construction start. The structure of a single private company building major infrastructure that has traditionally been the state's domain, in one EPC package, is quietly rewriting "the assumptions about location" for Japanese companies already established in the south. What readers should note is not simply the opening of a road, but that the role of Can Gio itself will, over the next three years, shift into a three-part hub of port, real estate, and tourism.

What the New Sea-Crossing Road Involves

What broke ground this time is a sea-crossing road connecting the "Vinhomes Green Paradise" urban development on the Can Thanh side of Can Gio district with 30/4 Street in Vung Tau. The route is over 8 km of sea bridge and 3.85 km of undersea tunnel, with 6 lanes and a design speed of 80 km/h. Once complete, travel time between Can Gio and Vung Tau is expected to shrink from the current 90-120 minutes to around 10-20 minutes. On the same day, Vingroup also began construction on two interchanges connecting the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway, Rung Sac Road, and National Highway 50. The key point is that this is not a single, standalone bridge, but part of a broader effort to connect into the southern road network.

Why Is a Private Conglomerate Building Infrastructure Now?

Behind this is "Vinhomes Green Paradise," the massive reclaimed-land urban development Vingroup is pursuing in Can Gio. On a 2,870-hectare site — one of the largest in the country — it plans to invest about 9 billion dollars over 11 years, including a 108-story landmark tower, a theme park, and a marina. Building a city means nothing for asset value if there's no artery to carry people and goods to it. That's why Vingroup is building the sea-crossing road itself, in tandem with the urban development, on the premise of recouping the cost through development profits — rather than waiting for a government budget allocation, this is "self-funded infrastructure." Large-scale private infrastructure construction has traditionally been the exception in Vietnam, and this project shows that norm is starting to break down. When Japanese companies choose locations or business partners, a new perspective is needed — reading "which private company controls that region."

The Three-Part Package in Numbers

It's not just a road being built in Can Gio. Three things are rising simultaneously in the same area: urban development, the sea-crossing road, and an international transshipment port. Here are the key figures.

The port will be operated by Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC), Saigon Port, and TiL, the terminal division of the world's largest shipping company MSC (49% stake). Vietnam is positioning Can Gio as a "global transshipment" hub and the existing Cai Mep as a "gateway port," splitting the roles of the southern gateway to the sea in two. All the figures have been confirmed as consistent across multiple local media outlets, showing that the city, the road, and the port are moving forward as one integrated whole.

How it is being received locally and in the industry

Logistics industry sources see the completed sea-crossing road as pulling southern cargo routes further toward Cai Mep and Can Gio. On the real estate side, there is a persistent view that land valuations in Can Gio will rise in step with progress on the road and port. On the other hand, since the UNESCO-listed Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve sits nearby, some voices raise concerns about environmental impact. The port side emphasizes an ecosystem-conscious design, but the balance between development speed and environmental conservation remains an open question going forward. Optimism and caution coexist in the local mood immediately after groundbreaking.

What Japanese Companies with a Southern Base Should Do Now

The implication is simple. Japanese companies that have, or are considering, factories or logistics bases in southeastern Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, or Tay Ninh (formerly Long An) need to reset their decision criteria around "after completion in 2029." Specifically, the drayage routes (port-to-inland transport) built around the premise of Cai Mep port are likely to see their optimal solution change once the Can Gio International Transshipment Port comes online. Because the transshipment port will serve as an intra-Asia hub receiving large vessels, there is room for the cost of onward transport to other Southeast Asian countries to fall. Manufacturers already exporting heavily from Vietnam would do well to build "alternative routes after Can Gio comes online" into the conditions when renewing logistics contracts, looking three years ahead, so the switch isn't delayed. For companies still selecting a location, a practical approach is to use both the lower-rent northern industrial hubs (like the move seen with Meiko's 500 million dollar factory in Phu Tho Province) and southern port proximity, choosing between the two depending on the export destination.

Impact on the market

What this project shows is a structural shift in which "private companies that control infrastructure" are starting to take the lead in southern Vietnam. Retail and dining are not unrelated either. If a 9-billion-dollar new city rises in Can Gio, it will draw in a resident population with purchasing power, creating new trade areas for malls and restaurant chains. AEON Mall is expanding in four regional cities, showing how foreign retailers chase population and disposable-income hotspots. Can Gio could emerge as a candidate for this within a few years. Not only B2B manufacturers but B2C retail and food businesses would also benefit from factoring the development's progress into their store-opening roadmap.

Practical Notes: Points Worth Confirming

Here are the points worth keeping in mind at this stage. First, while completion is stated as "three years after groundbreaking," the project includes difficult construction work such as land reclamation and an undersea tunnel, so plans should account for delay risk. Second, since an environmental protection zone sits nearby, the schedule could shift depending on the outcome of the environmental assessment. Third, the logistics benefit will only be realized in full once the timing of Can Gio port's operation (late 2020s) and the completion of the sea-crossing road align. Central Retail is breaking ground on facilities in regional cities, showing how infrastructure development reshapes trade areas over a span of several years. It's more practical to track this not as a one-off news item, but as a three-year-horizon input for location decisions.

Summary: The Next Action to Take

Vingroup's groundbreaking on the sea-crossing road is a warning to Japanese companies already established in the south that "the assumptions behind their base and logistics routes will change within three years." The first thing to do this week is simple: take stock of the export/import routes your southern base currently uses, and check with your logistics team on your dependence on Cai Mep and the possibility of an alternative once Can Gio comes online. From there, build "the completion of southern infrastructure in 2029" into the assumptions at your next logistics contract renewal or BCP review. If you're still choosing a location, redesign the choice between northern industrial hubs and southern port proximity based on export destination. Fast-moving, conglomerate-led development means the options will fill up first if you wait. Now is the time to start gathering information and building the internal decision framework.

Sources

• The Investor – Vingroup starts work on major transport projects in southern Vietnam
• DTiNews – Can Gio-Vung Tau sea crossing to be built with lotus-shaped tunnel portals
• The Investor – Shipping behemoth MSC selected as major investor for mega port project
• VietnamNet – VN defines dual-port strategy: Can Gio for global transit, Cai Mep for gateways