The Transformed Look of Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge After Clearance Height Upgrade

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vinh, Director of the Road Infrastructure Management Center under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction (representing the investor), stated that prior to the upgrade, the Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge’s clearance was only 6.5 meters. This fell short of the Saigon River waterway planning requirements, which mandate a minimum clearance of 7 meters for Class II navigation.

“Raising the Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge’s clearance is essential to ensure connectivity within the Southern Key Economic Region. The project’s total investment is approximately 110 billion VND, while constructing a new bridge could cost over 1,000 billion VND. This significantly reduces investment costs,” said Mr. Vinh.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vinh, construction began on May 14, 2025. Throughout the project, two-wheeled vehicles were allowed to use the bridge to minimize traffic congestion. However, the project faced challenges due to the application of a new bridge-lifting technology, which was being implemented in Vietnam for the first time, similar to the Binh Trieu 1 Bridge project on National Highway 13.

“This is a complex technology with no precedent, so we organized numerous workshops and invited leading bridge structure experts to provide input, ensuring safety and technical efficiency,” shared Mr. Vinh.

Another challenge was relocating two large water supply pipelines running along both sides of the bridge. Cutting off the water supply during construction would have significantly impacted residents’ daily lives. With support from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the Water Supply Corporation, and related units, the pipelines were temporarily rerouted through the Binh Phuoc 2 Bridge, enabling the project’s timely completion.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Road Infrastructure Management Center, alongside the opening of the Binh Trieu 1 Bridge in late November 2025, the completion of the Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge clearance upgrade and its commissioning synchronizes the clearance of Saigon River bridges. This enhances waterway transportation efficiency, reduces road traffic pressure, and contributes to the region’s socio-economic development.

Mr. Vo Khanh Hung, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, stated that raising the clearance of the Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge on National Highway 1 is a crucial step in leveraging inland waterway infrastructure. This reduces pressure on road traffic, strengthens regional connectivity, and promotes socio-economic development in the Southeast region and the Southern Key Economic Region.

Previously, the Department of Transport (now the Department of Construction) directed the Road Infrastructure Management Center to simultaneously raise the clearance of the Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge on National Highway 1 and the Binh Trieu 1 Bridge on National Highway 13 to meet Class II navigation clearance requirements.

“With the completion of the Binh Trieu 1 Bridge clearance upgrade on National Highway 13 and today’s Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge, all Saigon River bridges now meet the minimum 7-meter clearance requirement as per the inland waterway infrastructure planning for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050,” emphasized Mr. Hung.