Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has recently given its nod to the project to build an overhead road at the UNESCO-recognized Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, also known as Can Gio Mangrove Forest.

The overhead road will be around one kilometer long.

This 1:5,000-scale plan is intended to facilitate ground and overhead transport for visitors and trekkers, and is part of the project to renovate the Sac Forest historical relic, located in HCMC’s suburban Can Gio district.

An observatory will also be built to help visitors learn more about the reserve’s flora and fauna.

The project, expected to be completed by April 30, 2015, will also see the construction of waterway tourism facilities at the salt fields and alluvial areas.

The committee also urged the project conductors to ensure that no damage is done to the wetlands and the overall habitat.

The Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, located some 40 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, is recognized as one of the world’s biosphere reserves by the UNESCO and is one of the country’s major tourist attractions.

With the forest covering 75,740 ha and boasting over 150 botanical species, the reserve is a key wildlife sanctuary in Vietnam as it is characterized by a wetland biosystem dominated by mangrove and enriched by many rare animal species.