Preparing to close Rach Mieu 2 bridge

Construction of the final block of the main bridge Rach Mieu 2 bridge.

Difficulty of cable-stayed bridge

With the close direction of the Prime Minister, the drastic participation of the Ministry of Construction, the My Thuan Project Management Board and related units have implemented construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams", exceeding the overall schedule by more than 5% and the main bridge by more than 15%. The entire project is expected to be put into operation in August 2025, nearly 6 months ahead of the contract schedule.

Mr. Le Ngoc Anh - Construction Team Leader of Trung Chinh Trading and Construction Company Limited (one of the joint contractors of the XL-02 package and also the direct contractor of the RM2 bridge joint) shared: “The XL-02 package builds the RM2 cable-stayed bridge, in which the joint is the most important, connecting the two banks of Tien Giang and Ben Tre. It is also the most difficult to construct. Because the joint is related to the technique of balancing the height between the two girders, to ensure all factors related to technique and aesthetics. To achieve this, the contractor must have a team of very skilled engineers and workers who have experienced similar projects like this. Most recently, we have constructed the My Thuan 2 bridge project. In addition, the team must also comply with the entire construction sequence, ensuring compliance with the technical design. All changes outside the construction site are strictly controlled. To ensure the joint As planned, the contractor has arranged enough personnel, machinery and construction equipment to work in 3 continuous shifts.

“In the construction of cable-stayed bridges, the most difficult thing to control is the height of the bridge deck, which in engineering is called the construction camber. Cable-stayed bridges are very flexible bridge systems. All factors such as temperature, construction load, construction sequence, etc. affect the height. The two contractors, Trung Nam and Trung Chinh, who constructed the two spans of the RM2 bridge, are both very experienced in this work. Therefore, the RM2 bridge has a very harmonious construction camber,” said Mr. Le Ngoc Anh.

Mr. Le Ngoc Anh added: “For each construction segment, the contractor, design consultant, and technology consultant must sit down, check and adjust each segment in a timely manner. There are 13 segments in total, and after each segment, adjustments and updates must be made in a timely manner... This is to control the error between theory and construction, so it is the most difficult. Just imagine, 2 spans are nearly 300m apart, when the crane runs back and forth on one side of the bridge (not yet closed), the bridge deck on this side will be 40 - 50cm higher than the bridge deck on the other side. Just the temperature difference between morning and afternoon, the bridge deck on both sides will sway like a carrying pole, up and down about 10cm. Therefore, choosing the right time for construction is very important, it must be calculated and experienced in practice. Cable-stayed bridges are still the type of bridge with the highest technical content in Vietnam today”.

Prepare for the wedding ceremony

RM2 Bridge is a project with a total investment of over VND6,800 billion, with a total route length of over 17.6km. This project will contribute to reducing the load on the existing RM Bridge, improving the transport capacity on National Highway 60, promoting socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta region and ensuring security and national defense.

Director of My Thuan Project Management Board Tran Van Thi said: “On April 19, 2025, My Thuan Project Management Board will hold the RM2 bridge closing ceremony. After nearly 25 months of continuous construction, the 1.971km long cable-stayed main bridge has completed 100% of the tower body, installed 112 cable bundles and is constructing the final closing block. This event is an important milestone in the construction progress and an important premise for completing the project and putting it into operation according to the set goals”.

The investment project to build the RM2 bridge across the Tien River connecting the two provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre, located about 4km upstream of the current RM bridge on the Tien River. The project has a total length of more than 17.6km, including: the access roads starting at Dong Tam intersection (intersection between National Highway 1 and Provincial Road 870) in Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province; the end point connecting Km16+660 National Highway 60, in Ben Tre city, Ben Tre province, about 0.71km from Ham Luong bridge.

The main bridge RM2, with a length of 1.971km, is designed as a cable-stayed bridge, with 2 cable planes, a main span of 120m+270m+120m, 4 motor lanes with a width of 21.5m, a design speed of 80km/h, 112 cable-stayed cable bundles, two towers 113.5m high, and a tower foundation with 24 bored piles 2m in diameter and 80m long. The project has a total investment of 6,810.11 billion VND, starting from March 2022 (for the approach road), from March 2023 (for the main cable-stayed bridge).

Since the commencement of construction, the project has received attention from the Government, the Ministry of Construction, and especially the Prime Minister who has directly inspected and encouraged the officers, engineers, and workers who are constructing the project twice. The event of the RM2 main bridge closing not only affirms the high determination of the construction team but is also a solid stepping stone towards the goal of inaugurating the RM2 bridge on the occasion of National Day September 2 and the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

Article and photos: Thach Thao

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/chuan-bi-hop-long-cau-rach-mieu-2-14042025-a145123.html