Rach Chiec Bridge No 2 opens to traffic on December 29 (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - Rach Chiec Bridge No 2 on the Eastern Belt Road in HCM City's District 9 opened to traffic on December 29, and it will be formally inaugurated before the Lunar New Year in early February.
The bridge is 868m long and cost 871 billion VND (40 million USD). It has four lanes in the first phase going one way from the Phu My Bridge to the Hanoi Highway. Four more will be added in the second phase at an undecided later date.
The bridge is a key link in travel from the Sai Gon High-tech Park in District 9 to Cat Lai Port in District 2, Hiep Phuoc Seaport in Nha Be District, and Phu My Bridge.
It is expected to ease congestion around the city's eastern gateway and generally improve traffic flow in the city.
It helps complete a beltway around the city. Under the master plan, Belt Road No 2 will run 70 km from Nguyen Van Linh Street in District 7 through the Phu My Bridge, Eastern Belt Road, Binh Thai intersection on the Hanoi Highway, and Go Dua intersection on National Highway No 1 before competing the circle at Nguyen Van Linh.
When the bridge is complete, trucks going from seaports and the Mekong Delta to the south-eastern region will no longer have to pass through the city's downtown.-VNA
