Accordingly, two spans and the watchtower of the bridge in Thu Duc district side will be kept untouched for scientific research about railway industry and tourist development. The city People’s Committee will use its own budget for the conservation and decentralize the bridge part’s management and maintenance to the Transport Department.
The Project Management Board No.7 under the Ministry of Transport said that according to plan, after new Binh Loi bridge is open to traffic this month, the project’s investor will dismantle part of the old bridge to facilitate boats and barges’ travel in the Saigon River from HCMC to Binh Duong province and from Binh Duong to Cat Lai seaport in the city. A wharf is scheduled to be built in the area where part of the bridge will be removed.
Binh Loi railway bridge was first built in 1902 with the total length of 276 meters and six spans.
On the same day, Vietnam Railways Corporation sent a dispatch on the closure of the North South Railway’s section from Binh Trieu to Go Vap station in HCMC for trial operation of new Binh Loi bridge from 9:30-14:30 on August 14. During the trial operation, passengers will be transported by buses from Saigon station to Binh Trieu station to get aboard. If the test operation goes successful, trains will travel across the new bridge.
Afterward half of the old bridge will be removed. The distance from the new bridge to the water face is seven meters permiting 300 ton vessels to travel under the bridge.
