During the festive days of the Independence Day, residents of Binh Loi and Tan Nhut communes in HCMC shared a profound collective joy as the new bridges were successively finished and put into operation.
For Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a local resident on Vuon Thom Street in Binh Loi Commune, the completion brought immense emotional relief.
“We’re absolutely thrilled because with Kenh Xang Ngang Bridge completed, our kids don’t fear being late for school due to waiting for the ferry anymore,” she explained. “Whenever it pours heavy rain, parents no longer have to sit on pins and needles, anxiously worrying about the ferry taking too long to dock. For us, having this newly built bridge means profound peace of mind when our little ones head to school.”
It appears the sheer joy of the new bridges didn’t just come to Binh Loi residents; the cohort of heavy truck drivers who frequently transport commercial goods through this area are also beyond thrilled.
For Mr. Tran Van Dung, a regular truck driver, the past reality was quite burdensome. He recalled that previously, every time he transported heavy goods from Vuon Thom Street to Truong Van Da Street, he had to take a frustrating long detour of over 10km. Since the new bridge was brought into service, the travel distance has been significantly shortened, cutting down transit time and making vehicular circulation much smoother, especially during peak hours.
Kenh Xang Doc Bridge boasts a massive total investment of roughly VND237 billion (US$9.1 million) and stretches a lengthy 465 meters, wherein the main bridge is 80 meters long and 12 meters wide, complete with four robust approach ramps connecting Vuon Thom Street directly to Truong Van Da Street.
Meanwhile, the bridge carries a hefty total investment of about VND227 billion ($8.7 million), measuring roughly 297 meters in length and 12 meters in width to effectively replace the existing horizontal ferry terminal, linking Mai Ba Huong Street through Binh Loi Commune toward Luong Hoa Commune in Tay Ninh Province.
According to Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Liem of the Binh Loi Commune People’s Committee, for many long years, Zone A and Zone B were merely linked by the old Kenh Xang Doc iron bridge, which was roughly 3 meters wide with a restrictive 8-tonne load capacity, causing immense difficulties for basic travel and the transportation of commercial goods. In the meantime, local students and residents in the Kenh Xang Ngang area had to rely on a traditional ferry, harboring significant potential risks during heavy rainstorms.
“The successful completion of Kenh Xang Ngang and Kenh Xang Doc bridges has permanently ended those precarious ferry trips; the separated regions are now seamlessly interconnected, forging continuous road traffic and opening up expansive inter-regional trade opportunities,” Chairwoman Liem emphasized.
The ultimate completion of Kenh Xang Ngang Bridge also marks the exact moment the Binh Loi ferry terminal officially ceased its long-standing operations. For Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, a veteran ferryman, the career transition is bittersweet. Having to part ways with the ferrying profession he has been deeply attached to for over 40 years, he nonetheless wholeheartedly shares the profound joy with the local people.
“I’ll surely miss the job terribly, but this is our collective developmental progress,” he explained, standing near the former dock. “The newly built bridge will help people travel much more safely and conveniently. Seeing Binh Loi Commune increasingly innovating and developing, every single local resident here is absolutely delighted.”
The new Lang Le – Bau Co Bridge in Tan Nhut Commune, alongside the upgraded and widened Ba Ty Route and Tan Buu Bridge, forms a continuous traffic axis stretching from Vinh Loc and Le Minh Xuan Industrial Parks through the communes of Vinh Loc, Tan Vinh Loc, Binh Loi, and Tan Nhut all the way to Ben Luc Commune in Tay Ninh Province.
Local resident Tran Van Hung in Tan Nhut Commune stressed that the urban transformation is palpable. He enthusiastically noted that since the new bridge’s completion, the area’s physical appearance has become substantially more spacious and elegant, making residents’ daily commutes much easier. Notably, the vital connecting route to Ben Luc Commune is now much shorter and far more unobstructed than before.
Lang Le – Bau Co Bridge has a strong investment of over VND207 billion ($7.9 million), featuring a main bridge that is 363 meters long and 10.5 meters wide, perfectly accommodating a smooth two-lane traffic flow.
As claimed by Chairman Le Nhu Hai Long of the Tan Nhut Commune People’s Committee, historical geographical barriers were a persistent headache. He stated that for several years, the commune’s triangular zone suffered somewhat limited development due to being entirely surrounded by the Xang Ly Van Manh Canal, Cho Dem River, and Ba Ty Creek.
Meanwhile, the old iron Lang Le – Bau Co Bridge had severely deteriorated with a meager load capacity, utterly failing to meet the increasingly massive transport demand. Consequently, daily commuting and commercial trading with neighboring areas faced a multitude of frustrating hurdles.
The new bridge, combined with the upgraded and widened Ba Ty Route, creates a continuous traffic axis that significantly boosts Tan Nhut’s interconnectivity with adjacent areas; this ultimately creates highly favorable conditions for robust economic development, generates local jobs, and profoundly elevates the overall living standards of the residents.
