Because of the currently slow disbursement of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds, the Ministry of Transport has agreed with proposing the Government and the National Assembly to use state budget for building Rach Mieu 2 bridge to ease traffic jam in the Mekong Delta.

Traffic jam repeatedly occurs in Rach Mieu bridge in holidays

The statement was made by Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The who led a ministry delegation to work with leaders in Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces on a plan to build Rach Mieu 2 bridge spanning over the Tien river in Highway 60 yesterday.

He highlighted the urgent need of building the bridge and required Directorate for Roads of Vietnam to quickly prepare a construction plan and report to the ministry for consideration.

According to the work construction plan provided by consulting firms, Rach Mieu 2 Bridge linking up Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces will be built with ODA funds from South Korea or state budget funds. The second plan has been appreciated with lot of strengths.

Rach Mieu 2 Bridge is expected to be built 3.8 kilometers away from Rach Mieu Bridge with the total length of the bridge and approach roads approximating 17.5 kilometers.

State capital suggested for bridge construction in Mekong Delta ảnh 1

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The (C) and Ben Tre province leaders at the working session (Photo: SGGP)

In case of being built from state budget, work will start early 2021 and be done at the end of 2023 with the total capital of VND4,615 billion (US$198.95 million).

The people’s committees in Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces have been expecting the bridge construction to ease traffic congestion in Rach Mieu bridge in Tet and other holidays.

Mr. Phan Van Mai, standing deputy secretary of Ben Tre province Party Committee, believed that it is time to build Rach Mieu 2 bridge which is meaningful and necessary for not only Ben Tre province but also the Mekong Delta. The province advocates building the bridge with the state budget.

SGGP