15/05/2026
On May 11, 2026, Ho Chi Minh City's leadership gathered at the construction site of the Saigon River pedestrian bridge to witness the first concrete pour for TC2 — the main tower footing on the Thu Thiem side.
For most people, this reads like routine construction news. For anyone renting, owning, or investing in Thu Thiem, it's worth a closer look.
Questions about renting or buying in Thu Thiem? Contact Achieve Realty VN: 📞 (+84) 86 888 2539 | (+84) 96 669 2202 📧 sales@achievereal.com
What Just Happened — And Where the Project Stands
Ground broke on this project on March 29, 2025. Thirteen months in, the build has reached its most technically complex phase: the main tower footing, which carries the entire structural load of the central span.
At the same time, the approach viaducts — built by CC1, one of Vietnam's largest state construction firms — are sitting at roughly 90% completion and are expected to finish by end of June 2026.
The signature element of the bridge, a sweeping steel arch designed to resemble a water coconut leaf, is currently being fabricated across four factories in Binh Chanh, Long An, and Vung Tau. Over 60% of the steelwork is done. The full arch will be assembled in Vung Tau, then floated upriver to the construction site in early August 2026 for final installation.
Target completion: Vietnam National Day, September 2, 2026.
The Numbers Worth Knowing
The bridge runs 720 meters end to end. The main river span is 187 meters — a suspended arch structure being used for the first time in Vietnam. The deck width varies between 6 and 11 meters, designed for pedestrians and cyclists.
Total investment: approximately VND 1,000 billion (roughly USD 39 million), fully funded by Nutifood, a Vietnamese food company, with no public budget involved.
The District 1 landing point sits inside Bến Bạch Đằng Park, about 125 meters south of Mê Linh Square — a short walk from Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street. The Thu Thiem landing connects to the riverside park near the intersection of Nguyễn Thiện Thành and N14 — positioned between Ba Son Bridge and the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel.
There's one question that comes up in nearly every showing for expats considering Thu Thiem:
"Can I walk to District 1 from here?"
Right now, the answer is no — not comfortably. Getting to the offices and restaurants around Lê Thánh Tôn, Tôn Đức Thắng, and Nguyễn Huệ means taking a car or motorbike, through either Ba Son Bridge or the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel.
That's a reasonable commute. But for a large segment of senior expats and regional executives, "walkable to the CBD" is a threshold condition — not just a nice-to-have. Projects like The Metropole Thủ Thiêm, Empire City, and Zeit River are already marketed on proximity to District 1. When the pedestrian bridge opens, that proximity gets a physical, literal upgrade.
Walking from The Metropole's riverside promenade to the Nguyễn Huệ waterfront — across a 720-meter architectural bridge, over the Saigon River — will take around 10 minutes on foot.
That changes the conversation for a specific type of renter: the professional who wants a quiet, high-quality home in Thu Thiem but whose daily life is centered in District 1. That person currently hesitates. After September 2026, they have one less reason to.
In rental terms, this is meaningful. A well-positioned 1-bedroom at Tilia Residences or The Opera currently leases at VND 23–28 million per month. Units that can be marketed as "walkable to District 1" tend to have shorter vacancy gaps and more consistent tenant quality. Both affect net yield over time.
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Achieve Realty VN's Take
Thu Thiem has a track record that's easy to misread from the outside. Infrastructure moves slowly here — and then it arrives, and it's permanent. The Thủ Thiêm Tunnel, once doubted, now carries tens of thousands of vehicles daily. Ba Son Bridge, once delayed, is now one of the most photographed spots on the Saigon River.
The pedestrian bridge follows the same pattern. The main footing has concrete in it. The approach viaducts are nearly done. The steel arch is being fabricated in parallel at four factories. This is not a rendering anymore.
If you own a rental unit in Thu Thiem and have been waiting for the right moment to renegotiate lease terms, or if you're considering a purchase and "walkable to D1" has been a sticking point — this project now has a credible completion date that's 3.5 months away.
That's worth factoring in.
Achieve Realty VN — 10th Floor, Miss Áo Dài Building, 21 Nguyễn Trung Ngạn, Sài Gòn Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 📞 (+84) 86 888 2539 | (+84) 96 669 2202 📧 sales@achievereal.com 🌐 achievereal.com
