The Thu Thiem 2 Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City has been inaugurated after seven years of construction at a cost of US$133 million.

The bridge opening ceremony was held on Thursday morning by the municipal Department of Transport and the developer, city-based Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Corporation, with the participation of local and central government officials. 

The bridge was officially opened to traffic at 3:00 pm on Thursday. 

Spanning the Saigon River between District 1 and Thu Duc City, this cable-stayed bridge stretches a total of 1.4 kilometers and has six lanes of traffic.

The bridge’s main deck is 885 meters long with its tower being 113 meters tall and leaning toward Thu Thiem across District 1.

The bridge starts from the Ton Duc Thang - Le Duan intersection in District 1 and ends at the Arc Avenue in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area in Thu Duc City.

The bridge project was started in February 2015 in the form of build - transfer, at a cost of VND3,082 billion (US$133 million). 

The new bridge will not only contribute to the development of the city’s eastern urban area but also create a prominent architectural highlight in the overall landscape of the Saigon River, Phan Van Mai, chairman of the city’s administration, stated at the bridge inauguration ceremony.

The completion of the bridge is of great significance in the context that the city has been focusing every effort on its economic growth after two years heavily affected by COVID-19, Mai said.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai lauded city authorities, investors, contractors, and local residents for their great efforts in completing the bridge amid the pandemic.

The bridge was originally scheduled to be finished by 2018 but it was suspended in August 2020 due to site clearance and other problems, when 70 percent of the project had already been completed. 

The construction was resumed in April 2021 despite COVID-19 difficulties and the final span of the bridge was installed in September 2021.

The bridge is expected to help reduce traffic congestion, improve connectivity between the downtown city area and Thu Thiem New Urban Area, and create a driving force for the area's development, local authorities said. 

It has come 12 years after the Thu Thiem 1 Bridge was put to use in 2010 to link District 2, now belonging to Thu Duc City, to Binh Thanh District.

Under an approved plan, two other bridges, Thu Thiem 3 and Thu Thiem 4, will be built before 2030 to connect Thu Duc City with District 4 and District 7, respectively, according to VnExpress.

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