The Vàm Cống Bridge, the second cable-stayed bridge across the Hậu River, Mekong Delta, was officially inaugrated on May 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Liêm

CẦN THƠ — A ceremony to inaugurate Vàm Cống Bridge – the second cable-stayed bridge across the Hậu River was held in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ yesterday. 
Speaking at the ceremony, Trần Văn Thi, general director of Cửu Long Corporation for Investment, Development and Project Management of Infrastructure, said the bridge, along with its approach road, is part of a transport infrastructure project to improve connectivity in the central part of the Delta. 
It was funded by preferential loans from the Republic of Korea Government through the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and counterpart capital from the Vietnamese Government. 
The bridge has a total length of 2.97km and 5.88km of approach roads, connecting Vĩnh Thạnh District in Cần Thơ City and Lấp Vò District in Đồng Tháp Province. 
It had total investment of VNĐ5.46 trillion (US$233.46 million). 
Addressing the event, Chairman of Cần Thơ's municipal People’s Committee Võ Thành Thống said the bridge would help boost connectivity throughout the Mekong Delta, making life easier for people living along the two sides of the Hậu River, and promoting socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta, whose main products are agricultural goods that need fast transportation.
Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thể said the project would help connect localities in the region, adding that it was a vital link on the Hồ Chí Minh Highway.

People drive on the Vàm Cống Bridge, the second cable-stayed bridge across the Hậu River, Mekong Delta, which opened on May 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Liêm

Visiting the bridge early in the morning, Phạm Bạch Huệ, a 83-year-old resident from Định An Commune, Lấp Vò District in Đồng Tháp Province, said she witnessed the very first day when construction work on the bridge began, and now it finally completed.

The dream of joining the two sides had become a reality, she said.

Nguyễn Hữu Đạt, another resident living in Hòa An Commune, Cao Lãnh City in Đồng Tháp Province, said the bridge was inaugurated nearly a year ago, and now local resident were happy it had been finished.

Travel times to Cần Thơ, An Giang and Kiên Giang provinces would be cut significantly, and residents would no longer have to wait for the ferry for hours, said Đạt.

Phạm Thị Lẹ from Vĩnh Trinh Commune, Vĩnh Thạnh District in Cần Thơ City, said that local residents’ lives depended on rice, crops and watermelons. In the past, they had to use boats to bring their products to highways 80 and 91 and wait for small traders to procure and distribute their goods.

“Now automobiles can collect our rice and watermelons from the fields. We are all very happy,” she said as she was taking her grandchildren to visit the long-awaited bridge. — VNS