The under-construction Mỹ Thuận 2 Bridge, crossing the Tiền River and connecting Tiền Giang and Vĩnh Long provinces in the Mekong Delta, is scheduled to open to traffic in 2023. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

MEKONG DELTA — Construction of nine new bridges in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta is planned to start in September.

According to the Construction Investment Management Department under the Ministry of Transport (MoT) , building the nine new bridges is included in a project raising the navigational clearance height of bridges across national inland waterways, and the first phase is in the southern region.

The project was approved by the MoT last year with a total cost of about VNĐ2.2 trillion (US$91 million).

It is expected to improve the transport infrastructure in the delta and ensure that the delta’s waterway transport system is more synchronous.

The new bridges are the Ô Môn and Thới Lai bridges crossing the Ô Môn River, the Đông Thuận and Đông Bình bridges crossing the Thị Đội-Ô Môn Canal, the Vàm Xáng-Thị Đội Bridge crossing the Thốt Nốt Canal, the Sa Đéc (Nàng Hai) Bridge crossing the Lấp Vò-Sa Đéc Canal, the Mộc Hóa Bridge crossing the Vàm Cỏ Tây River, the Hồng Ngự Bridge crossing the Hồng Ngự-Vĩnh Hưng Canal, and the Mỏ Cày Bridge crossing the Mỏ Cày Canal.

The project also includes renovating and raising the navigational clearance height of the existing Giồng Găng Bridge crossing the Hồng Ngự -Vĩnh Hưng Canal and dismantling the old Măng Thít Bridge.

The ministry has assigned its Management Board for Waterway Projects to be the project’s investor.

The investor is selecting a contractor to be responsible for providing consultancy on the construction drawing design, which is expected to be completed in May. The appraisal and approval required for the construction drawing design would be done before June 30.

Selecting the contractor for the construction of the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of April.

The project uses state budget funds for medium-term investment plans in the 2021-25 period.

Construction of the project is expected to be completed in 2025.

New bridge crossing Red River

A 820 metre-long bridge named Thượng Cát crossing Hồng (Red) River in Hà Nội will be constructed with an investment of nearly VNĐ8.3 trillion.

Construction of the Thượng Cát Bridge, which will connect Bắc Từ Liêm and Đông Anh districts, will last for four years.

It will be 33m in width and have eight lanes.

The municipal People’s Committee has given the green light to the construction project of the bridge and the roads leading to the bridge.

It aims to reduce traffic congestion and accelerate the completion of urban areas.

Design of Thượng Cát Bridge crossing Hồng (Red) River. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

​The city People’s Council has also approved the construction of Ring Road No 3.5 stretching from Thượng Cát Bridge to Highway 32 with an investment of nearly VNĐ1.5 trillion.

The ring road, covering 3.5km with a width of 60m, will be built between 2023 and 2026.

Thượng Cát is one of 10 bridges across the Red River under the Hà Nội transport planning in the 2015-30 period.

Nine other bridges are Hồng Hà, Mễ Sở (on Ring Road No. 4), New Thăng Long (Ring Road No. 3), Tứ Liên, Vĩnh Tuy (second phase), Ngọc Hồi (Ring Road No. 3.5), Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge and Tunnel, Phú Xuyên Bridge, Vân Phúc Bridge connecting Vĩnh Phúc Province. — VNS