After 18 months of construction, the Saigon 2 Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City was opened to traffic this morning. Meanwhile, the Long Thanh Bridge, which links the city and southern Dong Nai Province, was completed the same day. The Saigon 2 bridge, which links District 2 and Binh Thanh District, was completed three months ahead of deadline, said the HCMC Technical Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company, the bridge’s investor. 

The new bridge, which runs parallel with the existing Saigon Bridge, has been built under the BT (Build-Transfer) form with a total cost of nearly VND1.5 trillion (US$70.75 million).

The Saigon 2 Bridge is 987.3 meters long and 23.5 meters wide, and has four lanes for cars at the speed of 80 kph and two lanes for motorbikes.

The Saigon 2 Bridge is seen from a long distance (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

According to its technical design, the new bridge can survive earthquakes of 5.1-5.5 degrees on the Richter scale and has a life expectancy of 100 years. The city Transport Department expects to use the new bridge for vehicles traveling from the city’s downtown to Thu Duc District, while using the existing Saigon Bridge for vehicles moving in the opposite direction. One of the city’s key traffic infrastructure projects, the new bridge will relieve overload on the existing Saigon Bridge, help reduce traffic jams, and enhance traffic volume in the city’s northeast entrance area, the department said. The existing Saigon Bridge has been used since 1961 and has been repaired three times, of which the latest was in 2000. The bridge is now 986.12 meters long and 24 meters wide and has four lanes. 

This new bridge will contribute to easing traffic congestion in HCMC, especially in rush hours (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

The bridge is seen from the Thao Dien Pearl Tower in District 2 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

The  new bridge is seen from high above (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Long Thanh Bridge completed Meanwhile, after three years and four months of construction, the Long Thanh Bridge, which spans the Dong Nai River to link the city and Dong Nai Province, has been completed the same day. As a part of the 55-km HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway project, the bridge is 3.1 km long and 19.7 meters wide and has four lanes for vehicles to travel at 100 kph. 

A ceremony to mark its completion will be conducted this afternoon, said the Vietnam Expressway Investment and Development Corporation, the project’s investor. After being perfected, the bridge will be opened to traffic, the project management board said.