Work starts on major Mekong Delta bridge

Costing VND5.2 trillion ($228.6 million), the bridge crosses the Tien River, a tributary of the Mekong, and is expected to be completed after three years.

Built four kilometers from the existing Rach Mieu Bridge, the new bridge is 17.6 kilometers long, including roads leading to the bridge, and 21.5 meters wide with four lanes.

For the project, 62 hectares of land in Tien Giang and Ben Tre have been cleared.

As approved by the Ministry of Transport last September, the project will be funded by the state budget, with VND3 trillion for construction and building materials, and the rest for site clearance and project management.

When put into use, Rach Mieu 2 will be the seventh bridge crossing the Tien River to boost connectivity in the delta.

The new bridge will also ease congestion along Rach Mieu Bridge. On normal days around 18,000 cars use the bridge, and the figure usually jumps to 20,000 during weekends and holidays, three times its designed capacity. During Lunar New Year, or Tet, the biggest holiday in Vietnam, overload is much greater.