HCMC footbridge taking shape across downtown canal

The 100-meter link over the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal connects Hoang Sa Street in District 1 with Truong Sa Street in Binh Thanh District.

The first footbridge over the canal, standing between Thi Nghe Bridge and Dien Bien Phu Bridge, is set for completion before New Year's Eve.

The VND10 billion (US$410,622) initiative is part of a much larger VND500 billion (US$20.53 million) project by the National Power Transmission Corporation to build a 220kV underground electrical cable.

The Southern Power Project Management Board, which is in charge of the overall project, has said that both cable under the canal and the bridge will be a boon to city residents.

A section of the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

The Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal runs 10 km through districts 1, 3, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Tan Binh before flowing into the Saigon River.

Renovations of the canal over a decade ago transformed it from an odorous eyesore into what many consider the cleanest and most beautiful waterway in the city.