Looking forward to the completion of the expansion of Dong Bai

Cai Vieng ferry terminal area has completed the renovation and upgrading of the ferry ramp. Photo: PHAN TUAN

Construction of final items

At Dong Bai ferry terminal (Cat Hai special zone) in mid-October, a series of vehicles, machines and workers are urgently constructing the waiting room. At Cai Vieng ferry terminal, public toilets and waiting rooms are also being urgently constructed.

These are the final construction items of the Dong Bai Ferry Terminal and Cai Vieng Ferry Terminal expansion investment project and auxiliary works. The contractor is speeding up the progress and is expected to complete all items in October 2025.

The project started construction in early 2025 on an area of over 13,000 ^m2 , including the main items: expanding the ferry ramp to an average width of 12 m, expanding the ferry terminal area to nearly 1,300 ^m2 , dredging about 15,000 ^m2 to clear the channel with a depth of about 1.5 m. At the same time, renovating the waiting room with an area of 325 ^m2 , building a restroom with an area of about 140 ^m2 ...

According to the representative of the joint venture contractor, the construction of the Cai Vieng ferry terminal expansion project in Dong Bai has encountered many difficulties because since the beginning of summer, the number of passengers and vehicles traveling to Cat Ba has increased. The construction of the ferry terminal expansion depends on the tide and can only be carried out when the tide is low.

According to the schedule, the project will be completed in September 2025. However, the city adjusted the project, increased the investment capital by more than 10 billion VND and added items such as: building a transformer station on the side of Dong Bai ferry, dredging the area on the side of the ferry deeper to facilitate ferry docking, building public housing for Border Guard and Traffic Police forces. Therefore, the project construction progress was extended to October 2025.

More convenience for people and tourists

The project, when completed, will increase the transport capacity through Dong Bai ferry terminal and Cai Vieng ferry terminal, contributing to reducing traffic congestion at both ends of the terminal. After completion, the two ferry terminals can receive 2-3 ferries at the same time instead of 1 ferry as before. At the same time, the investment in construction and expansion of the two ferry terminals also contributes to ensuring traffic order and safety during the process of transporting passengers from the mainland to Cat Ba island and vice versa. This is something that is highly welcomed by businesses in Cat Hai special economic zone and the people, and is expected to contribute to promoting local socio- economic development.

Public restrooms at Cai Vieng ferry terminal are under construction. Photo: PHAN TUAN

According to Chairman of the Cat Hai Business and Entrepreneurs Association Pham Truong, in Cat Ba tourist area, there are currently many high-class accommodation facilities, overnight boats and 5-star hotels that are attracting high-class, high-paying guests. This group of guests often tends to use personal vehicles instead of public transport, so being stuck at the ferry terminal for 3-4 hours at some times during the peak season of sea tourism in previous years will also leave a bad impression, affecting the choice to return to Cat Ba in the future. Therefore, the expansion and upgrading of the ferry terminals is very practical, creating favorable conditions for tourists and improving the efficiency of exploiting 5 new, spacious, modern ferries that can carry more vehicles and people than the old ferries before.

According to the Standing Vice Chairman of the Cat Hai Special Zone People's Committee Hoang Trung Cuong, the investment in building and renovating the ferry terminal will increase the capacity of transporting vehicles and passengers on the Dong Bai - Cai Vieng ferry route, meeting the travel needs of people and tourists when visiting and studying Cat Ba Island, contributing to economic development, creating jobs for local people, promoting the value of the world natural heritage Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago. Tourism infrastructure and diverse and rich entertainment services are also being increasingly improved, including the Cat Ba Central Bay Tourism Area Project of Sungroup Group, which has completed many important items to serve domestic and international tourists this past summer. It is expected that the number of visitors to Cat Ba will continue to increase sharply in the coming time, so congestion at the ferry terminals may continue even after the expansion and upgrading are completed. Therefore, visitors should consider using other means of transport to Cat Ba Island such as: cable car, speedboat, public transport... especially during peak season.

NGUYEN CUONG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/mong-cho-hoan-thanh-mo-rong-ben-pha-dong-bai-cai-vieng-524279.html