Building work begins on Cao Lanh Bridge
Building work begins on Cao Lanh Bridge
Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh broke ground for construction of Cao Lanh Bridge that spans Tien (Anterieur Mekong) River and links Cao Lanh District, Cao Lanh City and Lap Vo District in Dong Thap Province on Saturday.
According to the design approved by the Government, Cao Lanh is a 2,000-metre-long, 24.5 metre wide cabled-stayed bridge, which will sit 37.5 meters above the Mekong River.
The bridge is located 9.8km from the Cao Lanh Ferry and about 35km from the My Thuan Bridge, which links Tien Giang and Vinh Long provinces.
With an investment of about VND3 trillion (US$142.8 million),Cao Lanh Bridge was designed to have four lanes for motorised vehicles to run at speeds of 80kph and two other lanes for non-motorised ones.
The construction of the bridge will be completed after 43 months, under the contract between the project's investor, the Cuu Long Traffic Infrastructure Investment, Development and Management Corporation, and a contractor partnership with Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the Vinaconex E&C.
The bridge project is funded by non-refundable aid from the Australian Government, a loan from the Asia Development Bank (ADB) and the Vietnamese Government's counterpart capital.
The bridge will contribute to improving the road traffic network, boosting the social and economic development and consolidating defence and security in the Mekong Delta region, which is not only a rice granary and the third largest industrial centre in Viet Nam but also one of the most productive agricultural and aquaculture areas in the world.
Upon completion, the bridge will benefit five million residents in the region and meet the travel demand of 170,000 people per day.
Le Minh Hoan, Chairman of the Dong Thap People's Committee, said the new bridge will help connect the transport network in the western area of the region, creating impetus for socio-economic development of not only Dong Thap Province but also the Mekong Delta.
Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh said the bridge is one of the four largest and most modern bridges in Viet Nam built in the Mekong Delta.
To fully use the newly built bridges in the region, including Can Tho, Vam Cong and Cao Lanh, the Ministry of Transport should focus on efforts to mobilise capital for the National Highway 91 to link Can Tho, An Giang and the bypass of Long Xuyen City.
New fly-over opens
A new steel fly-over was inaugurated at the Cay Go Intersection in HCM City's Districts 6 and 11 on Saturday.
The Y-shaped structure comprises of a 234-metre-long, seven-metre-wide section for traffic going from 3 Thang 2 Street to Hong Bang Street, and a 303-metre-long, 12-15-metre wide section for vehicles travelling on Hong Bang Street.
Construction cost VND314 billion (nearly US$15 million).
According to the HCM City Department of Transport, the fly-over will help ease the congestion that occurs routinely in the area during rush hour.
This is the sixth and the largest overpass built in the City so far.
New bridges good to go
Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh inaugurated 10 bridges on Provincial Road 883 in the Mekong province of Ben Tre also on Saturday.
The 59km road is the province's major artery, running from National Highway 60 in Chau Thanh District across Binh Dai District to the beach.
However, the road has not been used to full capacity because the ten bridges, built before 1975, have seriously degraded and caused frequent accidents.
The Government mobilised investment for upgrading the bridges under the BT (Build – Transfer) investment model.
The project to widen them from seven to 10 metres, suitable for vehicles to drive up to 60kph, started in early 2012.
The upgraded bridges will contribute significantly to the local socio-economic development, allowing easier transport of seafood from Binh Dai District to Ben Tre Industrial Park, HCM City and other provinces.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, deputy PM Ninh praised the efforts of Ben Tre Province to complete construction 17 months ahead of schedule.
Ninh said the Government had been introducing more cooperation forms to mobilise investment resources from different economic sectors, especially when it came to the development of transport facilities.
Ninh also asked provincial authorities to pay more attention to infrastructure development in rural areas.
vietnamnews
