Currently, at the end of Me Coc and Phu Dinh streets (District 8), there are two temporary iron bridges, Rach Cat bridge and Rach Cat 2 bridge, spanning Lo Gom canal.
Rach Cat Bridge, also known as Nha Thuong Bridge, connects Rach Cat Street with Phu Dinh Street. This bridge was built before 1975 and is now seriously degraded, while the traffic density is high. Every time a vehicle passes over it, the bridge shakes violently and makes a loud noise due to the iron plates hitting each other, causing concern for the people.
Rach Cat 2 temporary bridge connecting Me Coc street with Phu Dinh street, built in 2014, aims to facilitate travel for people on both sides of Lo Gom canal, while reducing pressure on the old Rach Cat bridge.
In 2015, the project to build a new Rach Cat bridge was approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council in principle for investment, but has not yet been implemented.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, the People's Committee of District 8 is currently adjusting the investment policy of the Rach Cat bridge project according to the tasks assigned by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, as a basis for implementation.
The project will combine site clearance compensation with construction and installation, with an estimated adjusted total investment of nearly VND 1,200 billion, of which site clearance costs are more than VND 751 billion.
The new Rach Cat Bridge will start at An Duong Vuong Street and end at Luu Huu Phuoc Street, with a total length of more than 1km. The main bridge is 261m long and 14m wide; the approach road is 797m long and 20m to 28m wide.
It is expected that the new Rach Cat Bridge will start construction in 2026 and be completed and put into operation in 2028, meeting the traffic needs of people in the area.
