HCMC – Trucks weighing over 24 tons will be banned from using the Rach Mieu Bridge in the afternoon and evening from January 30 to February 19, the peak travel period before, during and after the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet).
The suspension bridge, which connects Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces in the Mekong Delta, is always heavily congested during holidays.
It will be off limits to heavy trucks from 15:00 to 20:00 between the 20th of the 12th lunar month (January 30) and the 10th of the first lunar month (February 19).
The Tien Giang Department of Transport said that currently, there are two weekdays, Saturday and Sunday, when trucks exceeding 24 tons are banned from Rach Mieu Bridge from 9:00 to 11:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00.
In the first half of this month, about 1,000 vehicles traveled across Rach Mieu a day. On peak occasions, this number soared to 26,000 vehicles.
Over the past few years, National Highway 60, where the 8.3-kilometer-long Rach Mieu Bridge is located, has seen a significant rise in vehicle numbers, leading to frequent traffic jams.
In March 2022, the construction of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge began and is scheduled for completion in three years. This project is expected to relieve traffic congestion on the existing Rach Mieu Bridge.
The current bridge has two lanes for automobiles and another two for motorcycles.
