Four Hope Bridges worth over $89,000 open in Mekong Delta

Four concrete bridges costing more than VND2.3 billion (US$89,000) have opened in Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City, improving rural transport and helping residents move agricultural produce more easily.

On Oct. 16, residents and students in Phong Hoa Commune, Dong Thap, attended the inauguration of Hope Bridge 457, also known as Ngon Nuoc Trong Bridge. The 24-meter-long, 3.5-meter-wide reinforced concrete bridge replaces a deteriorated structure that had served the community for more than 20 years.

Nguyen Bi Ne, a local resident, said the old bridge was narrow and had damaged railings, making travel and goods transport difficult. During harvest season, fruit growers hiring trucks had to take a detour of nearly two kilometers.

"With the new bridge, people can easily transport mangoes or building materials, and children going to school every day are safer," he said.

Also on Oct. 16, Hope Foundation inaugurated Hope Bridge 462, or Bo Buom Bridge, in Tan Nhuan Dong Commune, Dong Thap. The bridge is 18 meters long and 3.5 meters wide.

The two bridges cost more than VND800 million in total, VND505 million for Bridge 462 and more than VND300 million for Bridge 457. Hope Foundation, Roche Vietnam and the FPT Community Fund contributed VND190 million, with the remaining costs covered by local authorities and residents.

Huynh Minh Tuan, vice chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, said the bridges connect rural roads, facilitate trade and provide safer routes for students. They also help communes meet transport criteria under the national new rural development program.

Hope Bridge 445 in Thanh Quoi Commune, Can Tho City. Photo by FRT

In Can Tho City, Hope Bridges 445 and 446 in Thanh Quoi Commune were also completed on Oct. 16. Each measures 35 meters long and 4.5 meters wide, with a construction cost of VND780 million.

FPT Retail and the family of Hoang Trung Kien contributed VND200 million through Hope Foundation. Local authorities and residents provided the remaining funding and labor.

Sponsors said the projects replace deteriorated wooden and steel bridges with concrete structures, addressing transport bottlenecks in the Mekong Delta's canal-crossed rural areas, particularly during harvest seasons.

The bridge-building initiative is part of Hope Foundation's "The Road to School" program, launched in 2018. More than 470 Hope Bridges have since been built in Dong Thap, Can Tho, An Giang, Tay Ninh, Vinh Long and other provinces to improve rural infrastructure and support local livelihoods.