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16km bridge to link two Delta provinces
The Transport Ministry on Mar. 7 broke ground on construction of a bridge to span the Co Chien River linking the Mekong Delta provinces of Ben Tre and Tra Vinh on National Highway No.60.
The 15.7km Co Chien Bridge is one of the four major bridge projects on the National Highway No.60. The others are Rach Mieu, Ham Luong and Dai Ngai bridges.
When Co Chien Bridge is completed after 36 months' construction, it will make the whole National Highway No.60 from HCM City to Tra Vinh Province accessible, reducing the distance between HCM City and Tra Vinh by 70km (Rather than using National Highway No. 1A).
The bridge is part of a Ministry of Transport strategy to develop the coastal economic corridor in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta to attract more investment in the region.
With total investment of nearly VND3.8 trillion (US$181. million), the project comprises two sections.
Sub-project 1, invested by Rach Mieu BOT Company Ltd., is construction of a 1.6km long, 16 metre wide cable-stayed bridge with four lanes designed for 80km per hour. Investment for this package is VND2,210 billion.
Sub-project 2 includes construction of 14.1 km approach roads and bridges in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces. Investment for this package is VND1,588 billion.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said the new bridge would create favourable conditions to boost investment, business, education and medical care for residents in the region.
Hung said this major transportation project will also promote economic, cultural, security and defence relations between Tra Vinh, Ben Tre with other Mekong provinces, as well as HCM City.
Hung also praised the work of the provincial authorities of Ben Tre and Tra Vinh to prepare for the project, which is one of the 10 biggest and most modern bridges in the country.
Hung added construction of Co Chien Bridge was a prime example of the advances in the national transportation and communication sector's bridge building industry. The ground breaking ceremony was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong.
vietnamnews
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