After seven years under construction, the Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge officially opened for traffic at 5pm, April 28. This was a much-anticipated project for Saigoneers, with over VND3.1 trillion in investment — the most of the city’s existing bridges at the time of writing.
The bridge spans 1.5 kilometers, featuring six lanes and two pedestrian paths. It crosses the Saigon River to link downtown District 1 and Thủ Đức City.
The existence of Thủ Thiêm 2 is expected to spur the development of the Thủ Thiêm Peninsula and relieve traffic pressure on other urban arteries connecting the rest of the city to Thủ Thiêm.
Work on the Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge officially commenced in February 2015, slated for a completion date in 2018, but like most public infrastructure projects in metropolitan Saigon, it was bogged down by numerous site clearance issues.
At Saigoneer, we remember October 2017 like it was yesterday, when it was announced that 258 heritage trees on Tôn Đức Thắng Avenue were to be axed or relocated to make space for Thủ Thiêm 2’s connecting ramps. The news evoked palpable sadness among city residents, many of whom had grown up with these rows of green giants.
Tuổi Trẻ reports that construction of the bridge dragged on until a halt in August 2020 due to troubles with land clearance. It wasn't until April 2021 that much of the red tape was dealt with, and the two sides were eventually connected in September the same year.
During Saigoneer’s visit to the site at launch, we saw throngs of eager urbanites standing by while the final barricades were being removed. Many waited two hours (and seven years!) hoping to be the first people in town to enjoy a rare sunset view on the bridge.
And eventually, when the lanes were cleared, Thủ Thiêm 2 welcomed a cascade of excited commuters driving on its fresh asphalt for the first time — couples on bikes, older Saigoneers taking a stroll, and even kids perched atop their fathers’ shoulders. Some waved at our photographer.
Immerse in the ambiance through a few shots from the bridge opening captured by Saigoneer. Let’s look forward to the eventual appearance of Thủ Thiêm 3 and 4 in the future.
