The Ministry of Transport and the People’s Committee of the northern province of Phu Tho on December 21 started the construction of the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C to replace the old one, which collapsed as a result of Typhoon Yagi.
Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh (central, in black) inspects the work at the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge in the northern province of Phu Tho. (Photo: VNA)
The emergency construction project has an investment capital of over 635 billion VND (26.2 million USD).
Once completed, the new bridge, with 353m in length and 20.5m in width, will be built as a permanent structure using reinforced and pre-stressed concrete.
The project also includes the dismantling of the remnants of the old bridge, which collapsed on September 9 due to strong river flows in the wake of Super Typhoon Yagi. The cleanup involves removing steel trusses and reinforced concrete spans, as well as clearing the substructure to ensure navigational safety and water flow.
Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh said that the construction of the new bridge is expected to complete by December 22, 2025, ten days earlier than scheduled.
He asked the project investor, management board, and design and construction units to pay close attention to major bridge construction issues, especially those regarding geology beneath the riverbed.