HCMC – The HCMC Department of Transport has proposed raising the vertical clearance of two bridges to seven meters.

If the plan receives the nod from the municipal government, the city would spend a combined VND245 billion on Binh Trieu 1 and Binh Phuoc 1 bridges.

Binh Trieu 1 bridge is expected to receive VND133 billion. Built before 1975 and expanded in 2010, the bridge has a vertical height of 5.5 meters, which is inconvenient for water transportation during high tide. It connects Thu Duc City with Binh Thanh District.

The remaining capital would go to Binh Phuoc 1 bridge, constructed in 2003 and connecting Thu Duc City with District 12.

It has a length of over 480 meters, a width of 11 meters, and a clearance height of around six meters. Last August, , damaging the bridge.

The reconstruction is expected to finish in 2024. Once that is done, the ministry said it would propose raising the vertical clearance of other bridges.

Currently, HCMC has 218 bridges, of which 102 have low vertical heights.