May 21 – Ho Chi Minh’s first ever cable-stayed bridge spanning over the Saigon River is nearing completion with the final cables connected last Tuesday.
The Phu My Bridge is 2.1 kilometers long and connects District 2 and District 7. Work on the bridge was completed four months ahead of schedule. It is the world’s most modern bridge in terms of suspension cable technology, according to Phu My Bridge Corporation, the project co-investor told Vietnam News.
When the bridge is finally operational on September 1, it will lessen traffic between the Mekong Delta and the rest of the country. The bridge will ease traffic by bypassing the city linking to part of a new ring road now under construction in HCMC.
The ring road will improve transportation links from the southern part of the Mekong Delta region to the central and northern parts of the country.
The bridge is a partnership between the People’s Committee and the Phu My Bridge Corporation. Construction of the six-lane bridge began in 2007 led by the BBBH consortium, made up of Germany’s Bilfinger Berger along with Australia’s Baulderstone Hornibrook, and France’s Freyssinet International et Companie and Arcadis. The Phuy My bridge’s lighting system is estimated to cost around US$1 million.
