The Can Tho Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge spanning the Hau River that connects southern Can Tho City with Vinh Long Province, will be inaugurated on April 24, said Deputy Minister of Transport Ngo Thinh Duc.
He was speaking at a meeting held March 23 in Can Tho City with local officials and contractors and consultants to review the progress of the bridge’s construction.
The Can Tho bridge stretches 2,750 meters long, spans 23.1 meters wide, and has four lanes for traffic and two for pedestrians.
Japanese contractors and Vietnamese builders have nearly completed all key work on the bridge, said Duong Tan Minh, general director of the My Thuan Project Management Unit.
Currently, a lighting system, a fire control and prevention system, and a drift signal system are being installed, Mr. Minh said.
The project has been developed on schedule, meeting the Prime Minister’s request that the bridge be put into operation in April, he added.
However, a bridge monitoring system had to be adjusted, putting the final cost of the project over budget, said Mr. Minh.
Therefore, the Project Management Unit has asked for permission from the transport ministry to use the reserve fund to make up for the increased expense, he said.
Work on the bridge began in 2004 with total investment of around VND4.84 trillion (US$254 million), of which about 85 percent was funded through Japanese ODA and the remaining amount from the Vietnamese Government.
When Can Tho Bridge opens to traffic, it will be the longest main span cable-stayed bridge in Southeast Asia.
