The pedestrian suspension bridge is in disrepair.

(Baonghean.vn) - The Lam Khe suspension bridge, located in Chi Khe commune (Con Cuong district), spans the Lam River and was built in 2005 with funding from Program 135. Currently, the bridge is in serious disrepair.

Lam Khe suspension bridge. Photo: Thang Binh

Lam Khe village has 194 households and 825 inhabitants, whose lives are mainly based on agriculture. The suspension bridge is the only access route for people to travel back and forth, exchange goods, and transport agricultural products and raw materials such as bamboo, rattan, and acacia trees for sale.

Many of the screws securing the bridge's surface have gone missing. Photo: Bao Han

After many years of use, the sides of the bridge have deteriorated and rotted, with some of the iron bars cracked, rusted, and broken. The bridge deck is made of wood, and due to the high daily traffic volume, some parts have rotted, and the screws on the bridge foundation have gone missing, creating holes in the foundation.

Mr. Kha Van Dan, Secretary of the Party branch of Lam Khe village, Chi Khe commune, said: “This is the only road for the villagers to trade and sell goods. During the harvest season for agricultural products like cassava, an average of 30 trucks weighing more than 2 tons each pass over this bridge every day, not including trucks transporting materials like acacia and bamboo, and the volume of people. To repair the damage, the village management board conducts monthly inspections and replaces damaged wooden planks, but this only partially solves the problem. The people of Lam Khe village hope that the government will provide funding to repair and replace the bridge surface with metal.”

Many sections of the bridge's surface have rotted and broken planks. Photo: Thang Binh

The Lam Khe village also has 150 students from preschool to junior high school, and to get to school, they all have to cross this bridge. Twelve-year-old Lo Van Truong, a student from the village, expressed his concern: “Every day when we go to school across this bridge, it feels like we’re flying. We’re very scared. The planks creak loudly when we cross, especially on rainy and windy days; we don’t dare cross it.”

Many sections of the bridge surface are in poor condition, posing a danger to road users. Photo: Thang Binh

Many sections of the bridge's railings have broken. Photo: Bao Han

Mr. Lo Hong Minh, Chairman of the Chi Khe Commune People's Committee, said: "The locality is poor and lacks budget. Although the commune has an annual maintenance plan, replacing the wooden bridge deck is ineffective. We request that higher authorities find a solution to replace the bridge deck with iron. Currently, the cables are sagging, and measures should be taken to fix this so that people and students can travel safely."

Besides the Lam Khe suspension bridge, the Chom Lom suspension bridge in Lang Khe commune is in a similar condition; some of the bridge deck planks have rotted, creating holes, and people are constantly worried about crossing, especially with the rainy and stormy season approaching.

Bao Han - Thang Binh