Ho Chi Minh City forms expert panel to advise on strategic transport projects

The 23-member team includes scientists, engineers, business executives, university lecturers and experienced officials specializing in transportation, maritime engineering, structural design, environmental management, procurement and related fields.

Representatives from several foreign consulting firms operating in Vietnam are also among its members.

The panel will advise city authorities on policy mechanisms, technical solutions, construction materials, technology, procurement, cost management, financing plans, construction methods and project operations.

It will also review project proposals, identify potential obstacles and recommend solutions to help ensure project quality, progress and investment efficiency.

The projects covered by the advisory team are Can Gio Bridge, Phu My 2 Bridge, the Ho Tram-Long Thanh International Airport Urban Expressway and the Can Gio-Vung Tau sea-crossing route.

They are all considered urgent and strategic infrastructure developments, with a combined investment of roughly VND176.1 trillion ($6.7 billion).

All four projects will be carried out under the public-private partnership (PPP) model through build-transfer (BT) contracts.

The most ambitious is the Can Gio-Vung Tau sea-crossing route, which is expected to become Vietnam's first project combining a sea bridge and an underwater tunnel.

The route will stretch about 14 kilometers and feature six traffic lanes. The project carries an estimated investment of more than VND93 trillion ($3.5 billion), including over eight kilometers of sea-crossing bridge and a 3.85-kilometer underwater tunnel.

Construction of the access road section on the Can Gio side began on July 1, while investors and consultants are completing a feasibility study for the bridge-and-tunnel component.

Meanwhile, construction has started on the Ho Tram-Long Thanh Airport Expressway, and groundbreaking ceremonies have been held for both Can Gio Bridge and Phu My 2 Bridge.

Phu My 2 Bridge, planned as a new gateway linking southern HCMC with Long Thanh International Airport, will span about 6.3 kilometers and accommodate eight traffic lanes.