The Thu Thiem Bridge over Sai Gon River in Ho Chi Minh City opened fully to traffic on Sunday, January 31, after the second phase of its construction was completed.
The bridge, built at a cost of VND1.45 trillion (US$78.5 million), will be a significant contributor to the city’s expansion to the east, officials said.
Work on the bridge started in April 2005 and its first phase was completed two years ago.
The 1.25 kilometer long, six-lane bridge links District 2 with Binh Thanh district on either banks of the river. It also creates a connection between the Thu Thiem New Urban Area and downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, standing deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, Nguyen Thanh Tai, said: “The bridge will help the city restructure its population and shift its socio-economic development to the east, making the Thu Thiem New Urban Area a regional trade and financial hub in the near future.”
Also present at the event were city Party leader Le Thanh Hai, city People’s Committee chairman Le Hoang Quan, and officials from the ministries of Transport and Construction.
The same day also saw work begin on three major routes at the Thu Thiem New Urban Area. The ground breaking ceremonies for these projects were held in the presence of representatives from municipal administration, the city’s Transport Department, the Management Board of the Thu Thiem New Urban Area, District 2 authorities, and the Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Financial Investment Corporation.
One of these routes is a beltway, which is 3.6 km long and 55 m wide and has six lanes for cars, two lanes for motorcycles and two sidewalks. It connects the heart of the new urban area with the residential area in the north and to Luong Dinh Cua Street.
The second route is a road that is 2.8 km long and 28.1 m wide, linking the area with the Hanoi Highway, and the third is a road that will run alongside the Saigon River.
The project comprising the three routes is estimated to cost about VND6.73 trillion ($363 million) and scheduled for completion in 48 months.
Upon completion, the three routes and the East-West Highway will basically meet traffic needs of the new urban area, officials said.
