Mekong province blames bridge construction delay on slow government fund disbursement

The bridge over the Tien River, a tributary of the Mekong, connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces is scheduled to be completed in early 2025. Its construction began in March 2022.

While Ben Tre has handed over 96% of the land required, Tien Giang has only managed 51%.

Nguyen Tri Dong, deputy director of the Tien Giang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said at a news conference on Wednesday that the government had allocated VND2.1 trillion to acquire land and compensate owners but has only handed over VND1.26 trillion so far, slowing construction progress.

"We have written to the Ministry of Transport and asked for the funds."

Built four kilometers from the existing Rach Mieu Bridge, the new bridge will be 21.5 meters wide with four lanes and 17.6 kilometers long, including the roads leading to it.

It requires 62 hectares of land in the two provinces.

The cost was originally estimated at VND5.2 trillion (US$228.6 million), but later raised to VND6.81 trillion.

Rach Mieu 2, the seventh bridge over the Tien River, is meant to ease congestion on the existing bridge.

Around 18,000 cars use it on normal days, and this jumps to 20,000 during weekends and holidays, three times its designed capacity.

During Tet, the Lunar New Year, Vietnam's biggest holiday, the overload is much greater.