Work to strengthen and expand Binh Trieu Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City will begin next Friday after more than ten years of delays caused by fund shortages, said the director of the company in charge.

Le Vu Hoang, general director of the Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company, said the company had worked out solutions with banks and there was no reason to worry about further fund shortages.

“Now the only thing left is to compensate the displaced, have the ground cleared and then get started.”

The company, known as CII, signed a deal Friday with contractor Freyssinet Vietnam to carry out work on the bridge, which is a part of National Highway No. 13. The construction is expected to cost CII almost VND1 trillion (US$56.2 million) in total.

Work on the bridge and the highway was initiated in October 1998 as a part of the Binh Trieu 2 Bridge project.

The state-own construction group Cienco No. 5, then the project’s investor, was able to complete the brand new Binh Trieu 2 Bridge but faced financial difficulties and was unable to expand and revamp the original Binh Trieu.

The government revoked Cienco’s license on the project in 2004.

The city People’s Committee then chose CII as the new investor.

The Thu Duc and Binh Thanh district governments were assigned to undertake the relocation and compensation projects for displaced residents with VND2.8 trillion from the city budget.

The 50-year-old Binh Trieu Bridge is a major connector of the southern metropolis and the eastern provinces as well as the Central Highlands, said Tran Quang Phuong, director of the city Transport Department.

The bridge was designed to bear 16- ton loads and Vietnam Road Administration warned the bridge was under too much pressure in October 2007.

The new construction is set to reinforce the bridge to bear earthquakes of magnitude 6.

A representative of Freyssinet promised to finish the bridge in 15 months with VND83.6 billion.

“The repaired bridge will be not only stronger but more beautiful than the new Binh Trieu 2 Bridge and will last at least 30 years,” said the representative, adding that there will be two lanes for cars, one for bikes and a walkway for pedestrians.

Traffic on the bridge will remain normal during the construction, according to Freyssinet.

Duong Quang Chau, CII’s deputy director of trade and investment, said other parts of the Binh Trieu 2 project will be started after designs are approved by the city Transport Department and the bridge repair is done.

Reported by Mai Vong