When will a permanent bridge replace the suspension bridge over the Giang River?

Horrifying memories

The Giang River Suspension Bridge (also known as the Cho Chua Suspension Bridge) is located at Km105+970 on National Highway 46C; spanning the Giang River, connecting Thanh Lien and Phong Thinh communes (Thanh Chuong district). This is an important bridge for the local community, connecting Cat Van, Phong Thinh, and Minh Son communes (formerly Thanh Nho and Thanh Hoa) with Thanh Lien, Thanh Tien, Thanh My communes and other communes in the central area of ​​Thanh Chuong district, so there is a very high volume of traffic crossing it daily.

Previously, this bridge was part of Provincial Road 533, managed by the Nghe An Department of Transport. On February 9, 2017, the Ministry of Transport issued Decision No. 358/QD-BGTVT, converting Provincial Road 533 into National Highway 46C and assigning it to the Road Management Department II for management, maintenance, and operation from April 1, 2017.

The Giang River Bridge was put into operation in 1987 according to rural traffic bridge standards with a design load of 8 tons and a narrow bridge width of 4.25m. To build this suspension bridge, the people of Cho Chua area (Thanh Lien, Phong Thinh) had to endure countless painful memories.

Even now, many residents of Phong Thinh and Thanh Lien communes still remember the horrific morning exactly 40 years ago – in 1985. At that time, the Giang River suspension bridge had not yet been built, and people had to cross the Giang River by ferry. Amidst the crowding and fear of being late for school, 11 students from Thanh Chuong 3 High School (located in Phong Thinh commune, on the left bank of the Giang River) tragically lost their lives in the freezing river after the ferry capsized. These students were mainly from Thanh Tien and Thanh Lien communes. This was one of the most urgent and pressing cries for help that led to the construction and inauguration of the Giang River suspension bridge on January 15, 1987.

However, after many years of use, the Giang River suspension bridge has seriously deteriorated and poses many accident risks. Management units have tried many ways to reinforce the bridge, but tragic accidents are still unavoidable. On the evening of October 4, 2020, a 7-seater car carrying 3 people was crossing the Giang River suspension bridge when it collided with a motorbike driven by a man carrying another passenger, traveling in the opposite direction. The accident caused both vehicles to fall into the river. As a result, all 5 people in the car and on the motorbike perished.

Before the accident, the bridge's management had posted signs allowing trucks weighing under 7 tons to cross. After the accident, the bridge only allows vehicles and goods weighing under 5 tons to pass. However, given the increasing demand for heavy loads and the growing volume of people and goods transported through this intersection, the continued use of an aging and dilapidated suspension bridge has hampered the economic and social development of both sides of the Giang River; not to mention the potential safety risks. If the bridge were to collapse, the consequences would be catastrophic.

When will the new bridge be built?

We were at the Giang River suspension bridge recently, at the time when school was ending, and there were many students from Thanh Chuong 3 High School crossing the bridge.

Due to the bridge's weak condition, the anchor abutments at both ends, and the steel structures such as railings and bridge deck, have deteriorated, showing numerous signs of rust and peeling. Therefore, the management unit has had to place many warning signs at both ends of the bridge, ranging from signs indicating load limits, height, and width, to the distance between two vehicles when crossing the bridge, and even erected traffic cones to restrict large trucks from crossing. However, these solutions are only temporary and cannot be a long-term solution as the demand for crossing by the public continues to increase.

Furthermore, the management unit has to hire two people daily to sit at both ends of the bridge to monitor and direct traffic, especially for cars, as they cross the bridge.

Mr. Tran Dinh Tan, a hired guard at one end of the bridge on the Phong Thinh commune side, said: "A few years ago, I and another person were hired to guard this bridge. Because it's a vital road, if you don't want to take a long detour onto the Ho Chi Minh Highway to cross the river, the volume of people and vehicles crossing it every day is very high. At many times of the day, such as when students go to school or during market hours, the bridge is often congested. Although it has been reinforced with cables underneath, it still shakes violently whenever vehicles pass over it."

Mr. Nguyen Hong Nham, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phong Thinh commune, shared: "The demand for transportation and goods delivery across the Giang River suspension bridge is increasing. For many years, during meetings with local voters, people have repeatedly requested the construction of a permanent bridge to replace it, especially after the tragic accident nearly 5 years ago. However, to date, the construction of a replacement bridge has not been implemented."

According to our findings, after receiving numerous petitions from voters regarding the early construction of a new bridge across the Giang River, on January 16, 2024, the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) issued Document No. 594/BGTVT-KHĐT responding to the voters' petitions. In it, they affirmed that studying the investment in a replacement bridge is necessary. The Ministry of Transport has assigned the Vietnam Road Administration to include the Giang River Bridge in the list of projects for renovation, upgrading, and new construction to replace weak bridges on several national highways, with planned investment in the medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period. However, the capital allocated in the Ministry of Transport's medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period, approved by the National Assembly, is primarily focused on investing in important and urgent projects according to the principles and criteria of the National Assembly and the Government, thus making it impossible to allocate funds for this project (including the Giang River Bridge).

Document 594 from the Ministry of Transport also clearly states: To expedite investment in the Giang River Bridge, the Ministry of Transport has directed Project Management Board 2 to review and study the investment in the Giang River Bridge within the project to renovate weak bridges on national highways using EDCF loan capital. However, due to the lack of identified surplus funds from the project, the conditions for implementation have not yet been met. To prepare the project dossier and proactively submit it to the competent authority when investment resources are balanced, the Ministry of Transport issued Decision No. 1584/QD-BGTVT dated December 6, 2023, assigning the Vietnam Road Administration to prepare a report proposing the investment policy for the construction project of the Giang River Bridge, Km105+970, National Highway 46C, Nghe An province.

Reportedly, after being assigned the task by the Ministry of Transport, in mid-June 2024, the Vietnam Road Administration submitted to the Ministry of Transport for approval a report proposing the investment policy for the construction project of the Giang River bridge on National Highway 46C.

Accordingly, the new bridge project will be built with a length of nearly 3km, a road standard of level IV in the plains, and a design speed of 60km/h. The bridge section will be approximately 284m long and will be permanently constructed using reinforced concrete and prestressed reinforced concrete.

The total investment for the project is nearly 240 billion VND, sourced from the state budget, government bonds, the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026-2030, or supplementary funds, savings, and surplus from the public investment plan for the period 2021-2025, and other legal sources. The implementation period is from 2025 to 2030.

It is clear that the construction of a new bridge across the Giang River is not only a long-awaited desire of the local people but also an urgent requirement to ensure traffic safety, promote economic and social development, and prevent a repeat of heartbreaking tragedies like the 2020 accident. Hopefully, the authorities and relevant agencies will soon implement the project so that people no longer have to live in constant fear when crossing the bridge.