Saigon River's palm-leaf-shaped pedestrian bridge completes final span ahead of 2027 opening

Boat traffic resumed beneath the Saigon River pedestrian bridge’s nipa-palm-leaf-shaped canopy Thursday, a day after its final span was connected, as crews raced to finish access ramps ahead of its planned opening for the 2027 Lunar New Year.

Boats were seen passing beneath the pedestrian bridge on Thursday morning.

The bridge was successfully joined at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, following hours of operations to tow and install the steel arch, connecting Bach Dang Wharf Park across Nguyen Hue Walking Street with Thu Thiem peninsula.

A barge moves on the Saigon River under the newly joined bridge.

The structure has a navigational clearance of 10 m, measured from the water surface to its underside, and a navigable width of 80 m. These dimensions are comparable to those of the nearby Ba Son and Thu Thiem bridges.

The design allows large container vessels carrying containers stacked in three tiers, with a capacity of approximately 5,000 tonnes, to pass underneath.

The nipa-palm-leaf-shaped steel arch measures 187 m long and weighs 1,400 tons. Its connection to the two bridge piers is now complete.

The bridge is located between Ba Son Bridge and the Saigon River Tunnel.

Inspired by the waterways of southern Vietnam, the design is intended to create an open, unobstructed walkway and offer pedestrians wider views from the bridge.

On the Bach Dach side in the city center, the pier structure and a 239-m access ramp are still under construction. The ramp curves toward the main bridge span, awaiting its connection.

Following the joining of the main span, contractors will complete the bridge deck, railings, architectural features, and lighting, as well as install escalators and elevators.

The project is expected to open to the public during the 2027 Lunar New Year holiday, which will fall in February.

On the Thu Thiem side, the curved access ramps leading up to the bridge are also nearing completion.

Residents gather at Bach Dang Wharf to admire the pedestrian bridge after the final span was connected.