Vietnam may borrow US$185 million from Japan to build bridge in the Mekong Delta
A government agency managing transport projects in the Mekong Delta has sought the Ministry of Transport's permission to borrow around 20 billion Japanese yen (US$185 million) from Japan to build a new bridge in the region, local media reported April 9.
The official development assistance loan accounts for 80% of the estimated cost of the 4.05-kilometer bridge crossing the Tien River, the Projects Management Unit No.7 under the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam was cited as saying in its proposal.
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It will be the second cable-stayed bridge to link Tien Giang and Vinh Long provinces, after Australia-funded My Thuan Bridge, which was opened to traffic in 2000, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment's news website Dau Tu.
About 1.1 kilometer from the existing bridge with six traffic lanes, the proposed bridge is expected to help reduce My Thuan's congestion risks when it goes into operation, it said.
Latest figures from the finance ministry showed Vietnam will need around VND1,000 trillion (US$44.52 billion) for transport projects over the next five years, and the government can take care of less than 29%.
