Impact on people's lives
Trieu Do pontoon bridge across the Thach Han River, connecting Trieu Binh commune with the central area, has been temporarily suspended from operation since March 16 at the request of functional agencies. The suspension of the bridge has disrupted the travel and trading activities of local people.
Mr. Le Dinh Uynh - the manager of Trieu Do pontoon bridge said that the temporary suspension of bridge operation not only causes economic damage to contributing households but also greatly affects people's lives.
Since 2002, before the need to connect the rural area of Trieu Phong and the urban area of Dong Ha, 5 people have contributed capital to build this pontoon bridge. Since then, Trieu Do pontoon bridge has become an important traffic route to help students go to school, people travel, and transport agricultural products by rudimentary means.
Every day, the bridge serves about 1,000 passengers, mainly farmers, workers and students in Trieu Binh commune and Nam Cua Viet area. In particular, the bridge applies a 50% fee reduction policy for more than 100 students and is completely free for patients.
Ms. Le Thi Uyen (59 years old, Gia Do village, Trieu Binh commune) said that before, she carried about 50kg of rice a day across the pontoon bridge to sell, only taking about 30 minutes with a cost of 2,000 VND/trip. However, since the bridge stopped operating, she has to go around Dai Loc bridge, a distance about 10km longer, the travel time is almost doubled.
Entangled in regulations, finding ways to remove obstacles so that the bridge can soon resume operation
According to Mr. Tran Van Nhuan - Vice Chairman of Trieu Binh Commune People's Committee, Trieu Do pontoon bridge has been inspected and evaluated by the Department of Construction to meet technical and environmental requirements and will be re-inspected and evaluated every 6 months. Only when sufficient conditions are met can the bridge be operated.
On December 30, 2025, the bridge owner applied for re-inspection and re-evaluation but has not been resolved. The main reason is that the system of legal regulations related to people's pontoon bridges is currently changing, and there is no specific basis for re-licensing.
Mr. Nhuan said that although there are now concrete bridges like Dai Loc bridge, this route has a large slope and a long distance, causing difficulties for people, especially the elderly and students riding bicycles.
The locality hopes that departments and sectors will soon have guidance to both ensure safety and meet the urgent travel needs of the people," Mr. Nhuan said.
According to the Quang Tri Provincial Department of Construction, previously the management of people's pontoon bridges was carried out according to Decision No. 38/2017/QD-UBND of Quang Tri province (old). However, after the province was merged and the system of legal documents changed, this regulation was abolished according to Decision No. 2688/QD-UBND dated November 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, new laws and related regulations do not have specific guidance for civil pontoon bridges. This leads to legal loopholes in licensing and management.
In addition, according to current regulations, floating rafts and pontoon bridges are not subject to registration. However, safety conditions when operating on inland waterways must still be ensured such as solid structure, life-saving equipment and ensuring safety for users.
On March 19, Trieu Binh Commune People's Committee coordinated with relevant units to organize a meeting to remove obstacles and find solutions to restore the operation of the pontoon bridge in the near future. In the long term, the Department of Construction will request vehicle owners to develop plans to ensure traffic safety, prevent accidents, rescue and complete design documents for the Commune People's Committee to manage according to their authority. At the same time, specialized agencies will coordinate to inspect and supervise operations to ensure compliance with legal regulations.
