Rach Mieu 2 Bridge nears completion

The Rach Mieu 2 cable-stayed bridge has completed its main and auxiliary spans, road surfacing, with remaining items set for completion by the end of July.

The Rach Mieu 2 Bridge spans the Tien River, connecting Vinh Long and Dong Thap provinces, about 4 km upstream from the existing bridge. The project is over 17 km long, starting at the Dong Tam intersection (the junction of National Highway 1 and Provincial Road 870) in Chau Thanh district, the former Tien Giang province; the endpoint connects to National Highway 60, the former Ben Tre city, nearly one km from the Ham Luong Bridge.

Despite this, some people still ride their motorbikes along the openings left for workers to access the construction site. The management unit has had to set up a temporary checkpoint in the middle of the bridge, deploying security personnel to cordon off areas and put up warning signs to prevent access.

Five auxiliary bridges—Xoai Hot, My Tho, Tam Son, Ba Lai, and Song Ma—along with the access roads on both sides of the bridge, have also been completed.

Workers install dividers on the access road leading to the bridge.

The project, with a total investment of over 6,800 billion VND, began in 3/2022 and was initially expected to be completed in early 2026. However, after an inspection, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the project be finished earlier than planned, with the bridge open to traffic by National Day.

After over three years of construction, the project is now 99% complete. The main bridge section is fully paved and equipped with dividers, compared to its status three months prior.

One of the final components of the access road area is being expedited.

On the construction site, crews maintain over 35 work fronts, operating over 100 pieces of equipment, with 350 workers and 70 technical staff working in three shifts, four crews, to keep the project on schedule.

In recent days, with the main and auxiliary bridges complete, hundreds of curious residents from Vinh Long and Dong Thap provinces have driven their motorbikes onto the bridge to take pictures and videos, despite it not being open to traffic. The construction unit subsequently erected temporary concrete barricades and warning signs to ensure safety.

The intersection of the bridge access road and the road to the Dong Tam Snake Farm on the Dong Thap side is being paved.

Location of the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge. Graphics: Khanh Hoang

Recent frequent storms have delayed some aspects of the project.

The investor stated they are continuing cable-stay vibration and damping tests, along with bridge load testing. If weather permits, all items will be completed by the end of the month.

The project is expected to be handed over to Dong Thap and Vinh Long provinces and put into operation before 2/9.