A train without passengers or goods was successfully test-run through the bridge on the afternoon of September 14.
The opening of the new Binh Loi bridge marks the end of the old bridge which has been in service for 117 years.
The new rail bridge is part of a larger project to improve waterway traffic on the Saigon River with a total cost of VND1.3 trillion (US$55.9 million), with the bridge costing VND470 billion (US$20.21 million).
With a height clearance of 7 metres, compared with the old bridge’s one metre, the new Binh Loi bridge can allow the passage of larger ships, thereby enhancing the waterway connection between Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong province.
Rails on the new 1.3-kilometre long bridge were laid in the narrow track gauge of 1,000 millimetres but can be upgraded to the standard gauge of 1,435 millimetres in the future.
After the new bridge comes into service, most of old Binh Loi bridge will be dismantled except for two spans and a watch tower on the Thu Duc district side for preservation and for use as a tourist spot.
