NATIONAL

Monday , Jan 19, 2009, Posted at: 13:56(GMT+7)

Major southern bridge opens to traffic

The VND1.4 trillion (US$80 million) Rach Mieu Bridge connecting Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces opened to traffic January 19 after construction began in April 2002. The Rach Mieu Bridge (Photo: Tuoi Tre) It has been built over the Tien River along National Road 60, around 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City. The bridge is vital for Ben Tre residents, facilitating not only transport but also socio-economic development in the province and the Mekong Delta. Unlike the modern My Thuan, Can Tho, and Bai Chay suspension bridges, Rach Mieu was designed and built by Vietnamese with Swiss technical assistance.   With the Can Tho bridge still under construction, it is the second suspension bridge in the delta. The first, the My Thuan Bridge, connects Vinh Long Province with the city of Can Tho, was finished in 2000. Rach Mieu is 2.87 kilometers long. Its suspended portion is 504 meters long while it has a clearance of 37.5 meters.  It was built under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract by CIENCO 1, 5 and 6 at a cost of VND988 billion (US$59 million). Of this amount VND571 billion came from the Government and the rest from CIENCO.   The bridge toll will be the same as the ferry charge now collected.

Happy occasion

Rach Mieu Bridge opens to traffic on Ja. 19 (Photo: SGGP)

With the ferry system a thing of the past following the bridge completion, the delta is expected to attract more investment.

While it used to take around 25 minutes to cross the river by ferry, it only takes five minutes now.

Farmer Nguyen Van Hai, 65, of Ben Tre Province’s Giong Trom District, said “This is the bridge of our dreams. My wife and I have always dreamed of a bridge to connect the two banks of the Tien River. We are very happy.”

“My children who live and work in Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City will no longer have a long wait for a ferry when they return home for Tet,” he added.

Opportunities for Ben Tre

The Rach Mieu Bridge will not just facilitate transportation in the region, but also Ben Tre Province’s economic and tourism development.

When the bridge was under construction, many foreign and domestic investors visited the province to study its potential.

Nguyen Thai Xuan, chairman of the Ben Tre People’s Committee, said foreign investment into the province has soared in the last three years.

The province has now drawn up fresh socio-economic plans, he said.

It is seeking investment in existing industrial parks like An Hiep and Giao Long, with seafood and export of fruit getting priority, Mr. Xuan added.