Tra Vuon Railway Bridge (Thai Nguyen City) was built in the 1960s. The bridge is 126 meters long and is managed by Ha Thai Railway Management Company Limited. It was designed to serve trains, but since the trains stopped running, the bridge corridor area has become a residential road.
Over time, the bridge has seriously deteriorated. However, to save travel time, hundreds of people still risk their lives to cross it every day.
Recorded by PV on January 6, apart from the railway track, the widest corridor on the bridge is about 60cm, just enough for one vehicle to pass. The bridge surface is covered with thin concrete slabs, which vibrate violently every time a vehicle passes by. The bridge railing is only on one side, with rusty joints. Some wooden bridge panels have rotted and are lying around.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (Thai Nguyen City) said that although the bridge is degraded and dangerous to travel on, this is the shortest way across the river. If you take another route, it will take you 4-5km.
"It's called a bridge, but it's actually just a temporary walkway, following the railway corridor. For many years, people have had to risk their lives to cross it. The most dangerous thing is to travel at night. The bridge surface area is narrow, and some areas are seriously degraded, so it's also unsafe," said Ms. Thanh.
In the same mood, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai (Thai Nguyen City) said that some people have to cross this bridge because of no other choice. Every time vehicles move across, the bridge shakes violently. The bridge surface is covered with thin concrete slabs, the rest is made of wood. The steel bars have rusted over time and are temporarily reinforced with steel wires.
On January 6, speaking with Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Nguyen Van Quan - Vice Chairman of Dong Lien Commune People's Committee said that in the past 10 years, when the train stopped running, many people took advantage of the opportunity to cross the bridge.
"Following the city's instructions, the local authorities have also requested people not to cross the bridge. Although there are signs prohibiting it, because it is a trail and saves travel time, some people still use it.
In the immediate future, there is a plan to build a rigid bridge connecting Dong Lien commune and Huong Son ward. The new bridge will be built adjacent to the railway bridge, so when completed, people will move more safely," the leader added.
Some images recorded by PV:
