According to the Vietnam Railway Authority, many items of the 120-year-old bridge have been damaged, posing a risk to travellers. In May alone, two holes appeared on the bridge surface.
Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi
Long Bien Bridge is evaluated once every five to 10 years. The latest evaluation was in 2012.
The work is aimed to ensure the bridge can operate in 2030.
In terms of the recent damage to the bridge, the authority said the road surface is already outdated. Meanwhile, some kinds of vehicles which are banned from 5 am to 8 pm still violate regulations, particularly at peak hours.
Construction on Long Bien Bridge across the Red River began in 1898. The bridge was put into use in 1902.
In the 1995-2010 period, the bridge was upgraded with a total investment capital of VND116 billion (USD5 million). In 2015, a VND300 billion investment was made to make it safe enough until 2020, when the Yen Vien-Ngoc Hoi metro project would be built and replace it. However, the metro project has not yet been kicked off.
Bridge maintenance cost VND8.5 billion in 2021 and VND9.7 billion has been earmarked for the work in 2022.
