Preparations underway for the completion of the Rach Mieu 2 bridge.

BDK - On April 19, 2025, the My Thuan Project Management Board is expected to hold the ceremony for the completion of the Rach Mieu 2 (RM2) bridge – a significant milestone in the construction progress of this key national transportation project connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces. After nearly 25 months of continuous construction, the 1.971km long cable-stayed bridge has completed 100% of its tower structures, installed all 112 cable bundles, and is currently constructing the final connecting segment.

Construction is underway on the final section of the main bridge of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge.

The difficulty of building a cable-stayed bridge.

Under the close guidance of the Prime Minister, the decisive involvement of the Ministry of Construction , the My Thuan Project Management Board, and related units have implemented construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams," exceeding the overall plan by more than 5% and the main bridge section by more than 15%. The entire project is expected to be put into operation in August 2025, nearly 6 months ahead of the contract schedule.

Mr. Le Ngoc Anh - Team Leader of the Construction Team of Trung Chinh Trading and Construction Co., Ltd. (one of the contractors in the XL-02 package and also the unit directly constructing the middle section of the RM2 bridge) shared: “The XL-02 package for the construction of the RM2 cable-stayed bridge includes the most important section, connecting the two banks of Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces. It is also the most difficult section to construct. This is because the middle section involves the technique of balancing the elevation between the two girder wings to ensure all technical and aesthetic factors are met. To achieve this, the contractor must have a team of highly skilled engineers and workers who have experience in similar projects. Most recently, we worked on the My Thuan 2 bridge project. In addition, the team must adhere to the entire construction sequence, ensuring compliance with the technical design. All changes on the construction site are very carefully controlled to ensure the successful completion of the middle section.” According to the plan, the contractor has deployed sufficient personnel, machinery, and construction equipment to work three shifts continuously.”

“In cable-stayed bridge construction, the most difficult thing to control is the bridge deck elevation, technically known as the construction camber. Cable-stayed bridges are very flexible bridge systems. All factors such as temperature, construction load, construction sequence, etc., affect the elevation. The two contractors, Trung Nam and Trung Chinh, who constructed the two spans of bridge RM2, are both very experienced in this type of work. Therefore, bridge RM2 has a very harmonious construction camber,” said Mr. Le Ngoc Anh.

Mr. Le Ngoc Anh further shared: “For each construction segment, the contractor, design consultant, and technology consultant must sit down, check, and make timely adjustments to each segment. There are a total of 13 segments, and after each segment, adjustments and updates must be made promptly... This is to control the discrepancies between theory and construction, so it's the most difficult part. Imagine two spans separated by nearly 300m. When the crane moves back and forth on one side of the bridge (before the bridge is completed), the bridge deck on that side will differ in height by 40-50cm compared to the bridge deck on the other side. Just the temperature difference between morning and afternoon will cause the bridge decks on both sides to wobble like a carrying pole, rising and falling by about 10cm. Therefore, choosing the right time for construction is crucial; it requires careful calculation and practical experience. Cable-stayed bridges are still the type of bridge with the highest technical content in Vietnam today.”

Preparing for the bridge joining ceremony.

The RM2 bridge project has a total investment of over 6,800 billion VND and a total length of over 17.6 km. This project will contribute to reducing congestion on the existing RM bridge, improving transport capacity on National Highway 60, promoting socio -economic development in the Mekong Delta region, and ensuring national security and defense.

According to Tran Van Thi, Director of the My Thuan Project Management Board: “On April 19, 2025, the My Thuan Project Management Board will hold the RM2 bridge completion ceremony. After nearly 25 months of continuous construction, the 1.971km long cable-stayed bridge has completed 100% of its tower structure, installed all 112 cable bundles, and is currently constructing the final connecting segment. This event is a significant milestone in the construction progress and a crucial prerequisite for completing the project and putting it into operation as planned.”

The RM2 bridge construction project spans the Tien River, connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces. It is located approximately 4km upstream from the existing RM bridge. The project has a total length of over 17.6km, including: approach roads with the starting point connecting to Dong Tam intersection (the junction between National Highway 1 and Provincial Road 870) in Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province; and the end point connecting to Km16+660 on National Highway 60 in Ben Tre city, Ben Tre province, approximately 0.71km from Ham Luong bridge.

The main RM2 bridge, with a length of 1.971km, is designed as a cable-stayed bridge with two planes of cables, a main span configuration of 120m + 270m + 120m, and four lanes for motor vehicles with a width of 21.5m and a design speed of 80km/h. The entire bridge has 112 cable-stayed cable bundles, two towers 113.5m high, and tower foundations with 24 bored piles 2m in diameter and 80m long. The project has a total investment of VND 6,810.11 billion, with construction starting in March 2022 (for the approach roads) and March 2023 (for the main cable-stayed bridge).

Since its commencement, the project has received attention from the Government, the Ministry of Construction, and especially the Prime Minister, who has personally visited twice to inspect and encourage the officials, engineers, and workers involved in the project. The completion of the RM2 main bridge not only affirms the high determination of the construction team but also serves as a solid stepping stone towards the goal of inaugurating the RM2 bridge on National Day, September 2nd, and the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

Text and photos: Thach Thao

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/chuan-bi-hop-long-cau-rach-mieu-2-14042025-a145123.html