The project is completed according to the Prime Minister's strong direction
In 2009, Rach Mieu Bridge was inaugurated and put into use, replacing Rach Mieu ferry - an inconvenient way of transportation when vehicles have to wait to cross the Tien River due to overload.
However, over time, along with the rapid development of the socio-economy, Rach Mieu Bridge gradually revealed its limitations. On holidays, Tet or even weekdays, traffic congestion at Rach Mieu Bridge has become a familiar thing for people in the West.
This reality makes the need to build a parallel bridge urgent. Since then, the Rach Mieu 2 bridge project has been focused on investment and construction.
However, during the implementation process, the Rach Mieu 2 bridge project has faced many challenges, especially in the site clearance stage.
At that time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh repeatedly visited the construction site to inspect and direct, requesting ministries, branches and localities to speed up the site clearance progress. At the same time, it is required to shorten the construction time for this project to be completed and put into use on the occasion of National Day, September 2, 2025.
Up to now, after more than 3 years of construction, the Rach Mieu 2 bridge project has been completed, 5 months ahead of schedule compared to the original plan. It is expected that tomorrow morning (August 19), along with the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, Rach Mieu 2 Bridge will be officially inaugurated, put into operation and use.
Promoting socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta
Dr. Tran Huu Hiep - Vice President of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association - commented: "The inauguration of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge is not only a great joy for the people of Dong Thap, Vinh Long and the people of the project area, but also an important milestone in the strategy for developing transport infrastructure in the Mekong Delta. The new bridge reduces pressure on Rach Mieu Bridge, serves travel, unblockes the flow of goods, services, and tourism, while shortening the development distance between the two banks of Tien River and the surrounding area".
The Rach Mieu 2 Bridge project connects National Highway 60 of Ca Mau province, Can Tho city, Vinh Long, Dong Thap along the East coast, parallel to National Highway 1A and Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway and futurely the North - South Expressway section Can Tho - Ca Mau. This is a favorable condition for Vinh Long, Dong Thap and neighboring provinces to increase access to Ho Chi Minh City and seaports. Reducing costs and transportation time helps increase competitiveness for agricultural products and export goods, promoting regional economic development," Dr. Tran Huu Hiep emphasized.
Dr. Hiep said that Rach Mieu 2 Bridge not only creates conditions to increase exchanges and improve the quality of life of people but is also a "leverage" to attract investment in processing industry, logistics, and renewable energy. The convenience of travel will help stimulate the movement of labor, goods and ideas, contributing to improving the level of regional cohesion. In particular, in the tourism aspect, Rach Mieu 2 opens up new opportunities for connections. Tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeast can easily access the "new province" which is a locality rich in the potential of eco-tourism, garden, river, culture - history. The bridge creates a new "tourism gateway", contributing to the formation of a tourism route connecting Ho Chi Minh City - Southeast - Mekong Delta provinces.
However, to exploit it most effectively, localities need to coordinate synchronously in planning connecting infrastructure, developing specific tourism products and building destination brands. At that time, Rach Mieu 2 Bridge is not only a modern traffic project, but also a " cau" for economy, society, culture and tourism, opening a new stage of development, realizing the aspiration for sustainable linkage of the Mekong Delta with the whole country.
