On January 10, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters' records at Provincial Road 156 showed that dozens of workers and many mechanical equipment are focusing on constructing foundations, bridge piers and transporting materials to serve the construction of the border bridge across the Red River.
The investment project to build the border bridge across the Red River in Ban Vuoc commune and the connecting infrastructure system is implemented in the period 2021 - 2025, including 3 components.
In which, component 1 is to build a border bridge across the Red River; upgrade Provincial Road 156 (Kim Thanh - Ngoi Phat) section 3km long; renovate Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway intersection (IC18).
Component 2 includes upgrading 8km of Provincial Road 156 from Quang Kim bridge to BV32, BV28 intersection and leveling the ground on both sides of the road; component 3 is upgrading and renovating IC19 intersection. The total investment of the entire project is 1,490 billion VND, of which the Central budget supports 950 billion VND, and the local budget counterparts 540 billion VND.
The border bridge project across the Red River connecting Bat Xat (Vietnam) with Ba Sai (China) has a total investment of about 282 billion VND, constructed by a joint venture of Trung Chinh Construction and Trading Co., Ltd. and Inland Waterway Management and Maintenance Joint Stock Company, with a construction time of 18 months.
The bridge is built in the Ban Vuoc border gate area, about 700m downstream of landmark 97.
The project has a scale of a low tower cable bridge (Extradosed), prestressed reinforced concrete beams, tower pillars 20m high from the bridge surface. The bridge is 35.3m wide, the Vietnamese side builds half of the main bridge, 115m long; the approach bridge and bridgehead road on the Vietnamese side are more than 270m long.
Taking advantage of favorable weather, the unit has mobilized maximum machinery and manpower, organized construction throughout the holiday to ensure progress," said a representative of the contractor.
According to Mr. Pham Minh Hai - Deputy Director of the Lao Cai Provincial Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board, the realized value to date has reached more than 57 billion VND, equivalent to 21.14% of the total contract value. The Chinese side has completed culvert M1, pier T6; the Vietnamese side has completed culvert M2, pier T9 and is constructing pier T8.
Currently, 80 technical staff and workers have been mobilized at the construction site to work 3 consecutive shifts, 4 crews.
According to Mr. Hai, the construction process encountered many difficulties due to complex geology, the T8 pillar is located entirely under the Red River, often affected by rain and floods. In addition, because the project is jointly implemented by the two countries, materials and materials must be synchronously agreed upon before being put into use.
The investor has requested contractors to adjust the progress, increase equipment and manpower, organize multi-section construction, and work 3 consecutive shifts.
The project is expected to be technically opened to traffic at the end of September 2026 and completed in 2026 according to the general plan of Vietnam and China.
