On July 10, the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board in coordination with the Department of Construction, the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the People's Committee of Hiep Phuoc Commune and related units held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project to build a new Rach Tom Bridge in Hiep Phuoc Commune (Ho Chi Minh City).
The project was approved for investment by the Department of Transport (now the Department of Construction) in 2019. According to Mr. Trinh Linh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board (Traffic Board), the construction of a new bridge across the Rach Tom River to replace the existing iron bridge that has degraded and does not meet the exploitation load, contributes to improving the traffic situation in the area, creating momentum for socio-economic development, reducing traffic congestion, ensuring traffic safety; gradually implementing planning, developing the Ho Chi Minh City transport system and connecting inter-regionalally with the old Tay Ninh province (including the old Long An province).
The project has a scale of about 320 m from the starting point of the old bridge abutment on the Ho Chi Minh City side; the end point is about 302 m from the old bridge abutment on the Long An province side (now Tay Ninh province). The total length is about 684 m, of which the bridge section is 174 m long, the road section is 510 m long, the cross-section of the bridge is 15 m, with 4 lanes, along with lighting system, trees, technical infrastructure, and complete traffic organization according to the road level.
Regarding compensation, support and resettlement, according to Mr. Phuong, there are a total of 111 affected cases, with a total compensation cost of 226 billion VND. Currently, 83/111 cases have agreed to receive compensation.
The People's Committee of Hiep Phuoc commune is coordinating with units to focus on implementing related work to hand over 100% of the site to the investor before September 30, 2025. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Ms. Le Thi Anh Thu, Chairman of Hiep Phuoc Commune People's Committee, expressed her joy and affirmed the significance of the project: "Local leaders are very happy to receive the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Rach Tom Bridge. This is one of the four bridges in the old Nha Be district and now Hiep Phuoc commune that has started construction".
According to Ms. Thu, the started of Rach Tom Bridge not only solves the travel needs of the people, but also contributes significantly to the completion of the transportation system, creating a premise for the socio-economic development of the new Hiep Phuoc commune.
Along with Long Kieng Bridge and Rach Dia Bridge that have been completed in the past, the groundbreaking of the Rach Tom Bridge construction project today and the Rach Doi Bridge construction project are expected to be implemented in 2026 with the goal of building a new one, replacing all 4 weak bridges on Le Van Luong Street, contributing to reducing traffic congestion, forming a strategic road axis, and strengthening connectivity with the old Tay Ninh province (including the old Long An province).
