The second-largest suspension bridge in the Mekong Delta region will be built over the Hau River between 2019 and 2024.

The bridge is expected to shorten the distance from Ho Chi Minh City to the southern provinces of Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau City by 80 kilometers.

The Ministry of Transport’s Project Management Unit 7 (PMU-7) has submitted a pre-feasibility study report on the construction of the Dai Ngai Bridge connecting Tra Vinh and Soc Trang Provinces in the delta, according to Le Quoc Dung, deputy director of PMU-7.

The bridge is to be developed by the Ministry of Transport using funds provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the form of an official development assistance (ODA) loan.

The Dai Ngai Bridge, which crosses the Hau (Back) River, will measure 15.2 kilometers in total length when completed and will include two main bridges; Dai Ngai 1 and Dai Ngai 2, as well as five smaller bridges and approach ramps.

The bridge will have a width of 17.5 meters to accommodate four lanes of traffic, and will be located 7.8 kilometers downstream of the existing Dai Ngai Ferry Station.

The main bridge, Dai Ngai 1, is a suspension bridge measuring 2.56 kilometers with a clearance height of 45 meters, enough for ships weighing up to 20,000 tons to pass below.

The entire construction is projected to take four years, between 2019 and 2024, to finish at an estimated cost of VND8.3 trillion (US$365.64 million).

Upon its completion, the Dai Ngai Bridge will be the second-largest suspension bridge in the Mekong Delta region after the Can Tho Bridge.

According to Le Quoc Dung, the bridge will form part of National Route 60, which runs 116 kilometers through the southern province of Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau City.

“National Route 60 has already completed and three other bridges Rach Mieu, Ham Luong and Co Chien have been put into operation, making the Dai Ngai Bridge the final bottleneck to be removed from the entire route,” Dung said. “The construction of the Dai Ngai Bridge will connect the seven provinces with each other and with Ho Chi Minh City.”

According to Dung, the bridge will also help connect the southern provinces to the key economic region of southern Vietnam, contributing to the socio-economic development of the entire region.

Once the Dai Ngai Bridge is completed, it will offer an alternative route from Ho Chi Minh City to the southern provinces, and shorten travel distances by 80 kilometers, Dung said.

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