Fresh bids to build City’s second bridge

The HCM City People’s Committee has decided to call for fresh bids for building another bridge next to the existing Sai Gon Bridge after its earlier award to a company was challenged.

The Phu My Construction Investment Corporation (PMC) suggested a build – operate – transfer model and collection of toll more than two years ago and got the green light.

Following delays due to various reasons, PMC finally got the word to begin work in June.

However, the decision was challenged last month by the Ministry of Construction’s Construction Company 1 (CC1), which also wanted to bid for construction.

The People’s Committee has accepted this and announced there will be an open and fair bid.

Meanwhile, the city contracted the HCM City Infrastructure Investment Joint-stock Company (CII) to widen the Ha Noi Highway at one end of the bridge and collect toll.

But realising that collecting toll at two points within a short distance will be too much of a burden to road users, authorities decided the bridge will be built on a BT (build – transfer) model and no toll will be collected.

The Sai Gon Bridge 2 is designed to be almost 1.5 kilometres long and 23.5 metres wide. PMC has estimated it to cost VND1.6 trillion (US$84 million) but CC1 and CII say it will cost only VND1.2 trillion, or $21 million less. — VNS