Deep in the Dong Thap Muoi region, Nhon Hoa Lap Commune in Tay Ninh is crisscrossed by canals and waterways. Nearly 21,000 residents depend on bridges connecting local hamlets.

For more than 15 years, a concrete bridge over Canal 2000 has provided the main crossing for residents. Built to replace a makeshift bamboo pole bridge, the structure has since deteriorated, with a narrow, damaged surface and exposed steel reinforcement.

The bridge becomes particularly difficult to cross during the rainy season. Its limited width and deteriorated condition prevent ambulances and other four-wheeled vehicles from crossing.

"Ambulances cannot reach patients. Relatives have to carry the sick on hammocks across the bridge, then put them on a boat for another 10-minute journey before reaching the main road to Tan Thanh Medical Center, 5 kilometers away," said Le Van Nhan, Party secretary of Nhon Hoa Lap Commune.

Cars and trucks carrying agricultural produce also cannot cross, despite a paved road being only about 500 meters away.

A bridge in Nhon Hoa Lap Commune in Tay Ninh Province has deteriorated badly after 15 years. Photo by Le Van Nhan

Construction of Hope Bridge 451, locally known as the Canal 2000 Bridge, began in April. The new bridge is 27 meters long, 3.5 meters wide and designed to carry up to 2.5 tons. The project cost more than VND600 million (US$23,000).

According to Nhan, the bridge has removed a longstanding transportation bottleneck, improving access to healthcare, the movement of farm produce and the daily commute of local students.

"Located at a key point, Hope Bridge 451 also creates connections between Nhon Hoa Lap, Tan Thanh and Nhon Ninh, supporting production, trade and the local economy," he said.

Local officials estimate the bridge will serve 486 households on both sides of the canal. More than 300 primary, secondary and high school students cross the bridge each day.

Groundbreaking of Hope Bridge 451 in Nhon Hoa Lap Commune, Tay Ninh Province. Photo by Tien Danh

Removing bottlenecks

Bridge 451 is among the first projects marking the expansion of the "Road to School" program into Tay Ninh.

Construction of Hope Bridge 452 also began in Binh Thanh Commune. By early August, two more bridges, Nos. 458 and 465, had broken ground in Nhon Hoa Lap, further expanding the network in the province.

In Vinh Long, Hope Bridges 459 in My Thanh Hamlet, Tam Binh Commune, and 460 in Giong Ca Hamlet, Ba Tri Commune, began construction in late June. The bridges are 20 meters and 21 meters long.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for Bridge 459, residents of My Thanh welcomed the replacement of makeshift crossings that had served the community for years. During rainy weather, the old structures were difficult and potentially dangerous to cross.

A makeshift bridge over a canal, built by residents with a single tree trunk and bamboo in My Thanh Hamlet, Vinh Long. Photo by Nguyen Truc Phuong

Residents, youth union members, parents and students also helped with the construction by transporting materials and assisting with concrete work.

Nguyen Truc Phuong, chairwoman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Tam Binh Commune, said the new bridge is particularly important for students. More than 100 students and their parents are preparing to move from a satellite school to the main campus of My Thanh Trung Primary School.

"With a solid new bridge, the children will have a more convenient and safer route to school when the new school year begins, while parents will feel more at ease," she said.

The projects in Tay Ninh and Vinh Long are part of the Hope Foundation's efforts to improve infrastructure in areas where transportation limitations affect education, healthcare and livelihoods.

"Choosing these two provinces was not simply about finding places that lack bridges. Selection is based on urgency, the number of people who will benefit, and the long-term value for the local community," said Nguyen Tien Danh, director of the Road to School program under the Hope Foundation.

The program prioritizes locations near schools, residential areas and important connecting roads, where a single bridge can serve hundreds or thousands of people each day and reduce travel times for education, production and trade.

Residents, students and representatives of My Thanh Hamlet in Vinh Long Province join hands at the groundbreaking ceremony of Bridge 459. Photo by Tien Danh