Downer opens bridge in Vietnam

Downer opens bridge in Vietnam

HANOI (Reuters): Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer
and Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Van Khai opened a bridge across a
major branch of the Mekong River on Sunday, a project that is
Canberra's largest ever single aid project.

Officials said the US$51 million My Thuan suspension bridge
would bring substantial economic benefit to the Mekong Delta,
Vietnam's food basket.

The bridge will cut hours off the traveling time to Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam's commercial hub, some 150 km to the
northeast, by removing the need for a time-consuming ferry
crossing.

Thousands of onlookers watched from the shores of the river or
took to boats as the bridge was officially opened.