Work is being stepped up on the remaining components of the bridge, which will connect Bach Dang Wharf Park with Saigon Riverfront Park.
The main span had been scheduled to be towed into position, connected and technically opened by the end of August. However, the project will miss its September 2 National Day target after the delivery of a specialised barge needed for the operation was delayed.
Under the original plan, the 187-metre main span, weighing nearly 1,350 tonnes, together with its 1,700-tonne support structure, was to be transported from Dong Xuyen Industrial Park in the former Ba Ria-Vung Tau area to the bridge site in HCM City.
Moving the roughly 3,000-tonne structure along a busy shipping route requires careful planning to ensure waterway safety.
The operation also depends on tides and specialised barges of sufficient size and capacity. Only two vessels in Vietnam meet the requirements, including the Trung Nam S05 barge.
Vietrantimex, the transport company supplying the barge, said the vessel was being used for oil and gas projects. Bad weather at sea had delayed unloading operations, pushing back its handover to the bridge project.
The delay means the main span cannot be towed into position, connected and technically opened in time for the National Day holiday.
The project sponsor and contractors have prepared personnel, equipment and technical plans to minimise further delays.
Towing operations will begin as soon as the barge becomes available as contractors seek to keep the overall project on schedule.
The pedestrian bridge, funded by Nutifood at a cost of around VND 1 trillion (USD 38 million), will connect Bach Dang Wharf Park in the former District 1 with Saigon Riverfront Park in the former Thu Duc City.
The bridge will be about 720 metres long and six to 11 metres wide, with a navigational clearance of 80 metres by 10 metres.
Rendering of the pedestrian bridge across the Saigon River.
Inspired by the nipa palm leaf, a familiar symbol of southern Vietnam, the bridge broke ground on April 30, 2025 and is expected to become a new landmark in HCM City.
