Located 120km upstream of the river mouth on the Mekong Delta and 125km from HCM City, My Thuan Bridge No 1 was developed in a joint venture between the Australian and Vietnamese governments. — Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — An investment of VND5.5 trillion (US$247 million) is needed for construction of the proposed cable-stayed bridge My Thuan No 2, according to Project Management Unit No 7 (PMU7).

About VND5,251 billion of the total amount will come from Japan's ODA (Official Development Assistance) loans, and the remaining from the Vietnamese government, which will pay compensation for site clearance of the project.

According to PMU7's proposal, My Thuan Bridge No 2 will be built along 350 metres on the upper section of the existing cable-stayed Bridge My Thuan No 1, with total length of 6.81km and width of 25 metres. The completed bridge will have six lanes.

My Thuan Bridge No 2 is part of the HCM City – Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Tho Expressway.

The operation of big bridges in the region, including Co Chien, Cao Lanh, and Vam Cong, will overload the existing cable-stayed My Thuan Bridge No. 1, causing traffic congestion, according to PMU7.

The proposal from PMU7 was sent to the Ministry of Transport last week, reports Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

My Thuan Bridge No 1 is a cable-stayed bridge over the Tien Section of the Mekong River, connecting Cai Be District of Tien Giang Province with Vinh Long City in Vinh Long Province.

Located 120km upstream of the river mouth on the Mekong Delta and 125km from HCM City, My Thuan Bridge No 1 was developed in a joint venture between the Australian and Vietnamese governments.

It is the largest overseas assistance project undertaken by the Australian government, costing US$80 million. Construction was completed in 2000. — VNS