The main steel arch span of a nipa-palm-leaf-shaped pedestrian bridge over the Saigon River in downtown Ho Chi Minh City was moved into position on Wednesday, October 21. The bridge will connect Bach Dang Wharf Park with Thu Thiem Riverfront Park in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area.
The structure is approximately 720m long, with a deck width ranging from 6m to 11m. Its design is inspired by the nipa palm leaf and the cultural heritage and traditional river landscape of southern Vietnam.
The 187m cable-stayed steel arch is scheduled for completion before the 2027 Lunar New Year. The project includes architectural lighting and a recirculating waterfall system for public recreational space along the riverfront.
Installation began at 3am during slack tide. A specialised barge transported the 1,400-tonne span from Vung Tau. It was part of a 3,400-tonne assembly with support frames that completed a 124km waterway journey on October 19. Tugboats began maneuvering at 4:30am; by 5:30am the barge was perpendicular to the river flow and moving towards the pier supports. Clearance was only 25cm on each side over a 180m gap. By 7am the barge was anchored, and crews pumped water into ballast tanks so the structure could settle onto the bearings before welding.
Riverbed works encountered submerged concrete posts, wooden piles and old boat wrecks. Contractors used prefabricated reinforced-concrete caissons instead of traditional steel sheet-pile cofferdams. Divers, surveyors and floating-crane crews positioned components weighing more than 20 tonnes during slack water.
Nutifood Nutrition Food JSC fully funds the bridge, which costs nearly VNĐ1 trillion (US$39.5 million). Navigation clearances will be 80m wide and 10m high. Authorities restricted navigation through the construction zone from 2am to 6pm on October 21 and 22.
Sources: Viet Nam News
