The Mỹ Thuận Bridge () is a

cable-stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which wire rope, cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or wikt:stay#Etymology 3, stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, norm ...

over the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of wat ...

river, connecting Cái Bè District of

Tiền Giang Province Tiền Giang was a former province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. The province was formed in February 1976, by the merger of Định Tường and Gò Công provinces of former Republic of Vietnam. Tiền Giang has an advanta ...

with Vĩnh Long City of

Vĩnh Long Province Vĩnh Long () is a province located in the Mekong Delta of southwestern Vietnam. Its capital is Vĩnh Long. Its population is 1,046,390 and its area is . Vĩnh Long (spelled 永隆 in the former Hán-Nôm writing system) is a Sino-Vietnamese na ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. It was developed in a joint venture between the governments of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

.This is the first cable-stayed bridge ever built in Vietnam and also the first bridge connecting Tiền Giang and Vĩnh Long. The bridge was the largest overseas assistance project undertaken by the Australian government costing A$91 million. My Thuan Bridge 2

It was built by Baulderstone and completed in 2000. See AusAID publication "My Thuan Bridge: Monitoring Success" Political issues behind the bridge project are recounted by Sue Boyd, Australian ambassador to Vietnam at the time, in her autobiography.

History

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

once intended to provide funding to the government of the

State of Vietnam The State of Vietnam (; chữ Hán: 國家越南; ) was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1949 until 1955, first as an associated state of the French Union and later as an independent state (from 20 July 1954 to 26 October 1955). The s ...

to build the bridge, but the attempt failed. In the mid-

1960s File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the Woodstock, 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong ...

, the Nippon Koei company (

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

) completed the design plan and was selected, but the project was canceled due to

financial Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...

difficulties. According to the AusAid program of the

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

Government, the Mỹ Thuận Bridge project had a total investment capital of 90.86 million

Australian dollars The Australian dollar (currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: AUD; also abbreviated A$ or sometimes AU$ to distinguish it from other dollar, dollar-denominated currencies; and also referred to as the dollar or Aussie dollar) is the official ...

(equivalent to about 2,000 billion VND), in which the Australian Government funded 66%, and the Vietnamese counterpart capital was 34% http://www.baogiaothong.vn/hai-lan-lo-hen-xay-cau-my-thuan-d72787.html — a successful collaboration. At the end of 2023, Vietnam inaugurated the Mỹ Thuận 2 Bridge, located 350 meters upstream from the existing Mỹ Thuận Bridge, connecting the two expressways Trung Lương – Mỹ Thuận and Mỹ Thuận – Cần Thơ with a total investment for the bridge and its approach roads of 5,003 billion VND.

Location and Strategic Role

The My Thuan Bridge is located on National Highway 1A, approximately 148 kilometers south of

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

, crossing the Tien River, a major branch of the

Mekong River The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth-longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third-longest in Asia with an estimated l ...

. The bridge connects the provinces of Tien Giang and Vinh Long, serving as a critical gateway between the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( or simply ), also known as the Western Region () or South-western region (), is the list of regions of Vietnam, region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong, Mekong River River delta, approaches and empties into the sea th ...

and the southern economic centers of

, especially Ho Chi Minh City. Before its construction, transportation across the river relied heavily on the My Thuan

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

, which caused significant delays and limited the movement of goods and people. The opening of the bridge significantly reduced travel time, lowered transportation costs, and improved logistical efficiency, thereby fostering regional economic and social development. With its strategic location, the My Thuan Bridge plays a vital role in national infrastructure connectivity, contributing to poverty reduction, agricultural and industrial growth, and enhanced access to healthcare and education for millions of people in the Mekong Delta. The bridge has become a symbol of international cooperation and sustainable development in Vietnam.

Construction and Technical Features

The My Thuan Bridge was constructed as a joint project between the

Government of Vietnam The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (; less formally the Vietnamese Government or the Government of Vietnam, ) is the Cabinet (government), cabinet and the central Executive (government), executive arm of the Politics of Vietn ...

and the

Government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national Executive (government), executive government of Australia, a federalism, federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary con ...

, with a total cost of A$90 million, making it Australia's largest development aid project at the time. Construction began in the late 1990s and the bridge was officially opened in May 2000. The project placed a strong emphasis on capacity building and skills transfer. Around 1,500 Vietnamese workers participated in the project, and 45% of the construction work was carried out by Vietnamese contractors. Over 500 construction workers received hands-on training during the building process, while 60 engineers underwent formal training in bridge design, planning, and management both in

and

. These efforts contributed significantly to Vietnam’s long-term infrastructure development capacity. The My Thuan Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge, notable for its scale and engineering significance. Its main technical specifications include: *Total bridge length: 1,560 meters *Length of main bridge structure: 600 meters *Main span: 350 meters *Approach spans: 480 meters on each side *Width of deck: 24 meters *Tower height above high water level: 120 meters *Navigation clearance: 37.5 meters *Maximum river depth at tower location: 26 meters The bridge was designed to accommodate four lanes of traffic, along with space for pedestrians and bicycles. Its completion marked a significant milestone in improving connectivity in the

region and reducing dependency on ferry services across the Tien River.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:My Thuan Bridge Road bridges in Vietnam Bridges completed in 2000 Toll bridges in Vietnam Cable-stayed bridges in Vietnam Bridges over the Mekong River Buildings and structures in Tiền Giang province Buildings and structures in Vĩnh Long province