According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, Thu Thiem 4 Bridge is planned according to Decision 568/QD-TTg dated April 8, 2013 of the Prime Minister, with a scale of 4 lanes.
However, according to the latest assessment of the consulting unit, increasing the scale to 6 lanes (including 4 motor lanes and 2 mixed lanes) is in line with the current traffic volume, while ensuring long-term investment efficiency.
Currently, there are 5 bridge clearance design options proposed, with a total preliminary investment ranging from 4,365 to 8,953 billion VND.
The lowest cost option is to build a bridge with a clearance of 10m, an 80m long spans, and a total preliminary investment of about VND4,365 billion. Of which, the construction cost is about VND 2,978 billion, the rest is the cost of compensation, resettlement support and relocation of technical infrastructure of about VND 1,388 billion.
The second option is to increase the clearance to 15m, still keeping the bridge span at 80m. This increases the total investment capital to about VND4,840 billion, mainly due to the increase in construction costs of nearly VND500 billion compared to the first option.
The third option is with a bridge clearance equivalent to Phu My bridge (45m, span 250m long). It is expected that this option will cost more than VND 8,000 billion, of which the construction cost alone will account for VND 6,419 billion.
The fourth option is considered more flexible, when designing a bridge with a pick-up and drop-off span. When re-closed, the bridge has an clearance of 15m and when opened, it can reach 45m. The estimated investment for this option is about VND 5,709 billion.
Finally, the Saigon River tunnel construction plan has the highest total investment capital of about VND 8,953 billion, of which the construction cost is up to VND 7,471 billion.
According to the Department of Construction, the biggest problem that Ho Chi Minh City is currently unable to choose the final option is that the related planning projects have not clearly defined the clearance of Thu Thiem 4 bridge.
Previously, the Department of Transport (now the Department of Construction) proposed a bridge with a span of 15 - 45m to suit the traffic of large ships.
However, in August 2024, in a document sent to the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction), the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee said that it would choose the option of building Thu Thiem 4 bridge with a fixed clearance of 15m, because it believed that this option was suitable for the operation of restaurant ships on the Saigon River.
At the same time, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai at that time directed the review of the planning of Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi port, changing it to "international Passenger Port", which means it is necessary to ensure that the clearance is not high enough for large tourist ships and sea ships to enter and exit.
This makes the bridge with a fixed clearance of 15m no longer suitable. Therefore, the choice of bridge option will need to be comprehensively reviewed to ensure consistency in urban development planning and waterway logistics of Ho Chi Minh City.
The project to adjust the general planning of Ho Chi Minh City to 2040, with a vision to 2060 just approved by the Prime Minister, has identified Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi port as one of the city's three international passenger ports.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that this new planning will be an important basis for determining the appropriate clearance for Thu Thiem 4 Bridge. The city plans to submit the project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report for approval in the third quarter of 2025.
