Temporary bridge flooded during prolonged heavy rain
In the afternoon of September 21, temporary bridge 72 connecting Hung Dao and An Khanh communes (Hanoi) was still deeply flooded.
Previously, from 11:00 AM on September 16, Hung Dao commune authorities temporarily banned people and vehicles from traveling across the bridge. The reason was prolonged heavy rain causing the Day River water level to rise and overflow the bridge surface.
At both ends of the bridge in Hung Dao and An Khanh communes, barriers were erected, and functional forces were on duty 24/24.
According to local people, this is the 2nd time in 2026 that temporary bridge 72 has been flooded. The first phase occurred in August, but the water level did not rise as high as this phase.
Talking to reporters, a person on duty at the checkpoint in Hung Dao commune said that with the current water receding rate, people can only travel across the bridge by Friday or Saturday this week at the latest.
Next to temporary bridge 72 is the new bridge 72 project implemented from 2025. The bridge is 219.97m long, the bridgehead road is 666.13m long.
The project has a total investment of nearly 260 billion VND, of which site clearance costs are 84.7 billion VND; construction costs are 146.3 billion VND and other costs. Plan to be completed in the second quarter of 2027.
To date, the contractor has completed some bridge piers in the middle of the river. On the afternoon of September 21, the construction site had no construction activities, and workers were absent.
Ms. Le Thi Hong (doing business at the beginning of the bridge in An Khanh commune) pointed to the temporary bridge direction, calculating that from last year to now the bridge has been flooded 5 times.
Last year 3 times, this year 2 times and it is expected to increase further as the rainy season approaches" - Ms. Hong said.
According to Ms. Hong, in 2025, when old bridge 72 was demolished to build a new bridge, functional agencies built a temporary bridge to serve people's travel.
However, the bridge's static clearance is only equivalent to the old bridge, so every time it rains heavily for a long time, the bridge is flooded again.
When reporters mentioned the new 72 bridge project, she shook her head in dismay: "With this progress, I don't know if the project can be completed next year?".
According to small traders, about 1 year ago, when machinery was brought here, everyone was happy, hoping that next year people on both banks of the Day River would have a new bridge to travel, trade would be convenient, and life would change a lot.
However, the project progress is not as expected by the people.
Machinery and workers all withdrew from the construction site about 2 months ago. I asked and they said they would move machinery and equipment to construction sites in Thanh Hoa or Nam Dinh, and only return here later" - Ms. Hong said.
The flooded bridge caused traffic on both banks of the Day River to be cut off, and the business and trading of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh also became many times more difficult.
Customers across the river are also many, but in recent days the bridge has been closed, leading to difficulties in wholesale. The fruit cannot be sold, even if left for a long time, it will spoil" - Ms. Hanh said, looking out at the unfinished bridge 72 project.
The wish of the female small trader at this time is that the water recedes quickly, and people can travel across the bridge to resume normal trading activities.
As for the new bridge project, she believes that if the progress is prolonged, it will not only cause inconvenience to people, but also waste investment resources.
Encountering site clearance
According to the report of the Hanoi Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board (PMB), in Hung Dao commune, the total recovered land area is about 15,495.1 m2/109 plots (including land managed by the Commune People's Committee and residential land).
On November 13, 2024, the government signed a record of temporary handover of the land area of public land of about 2,618.1m2/15,495.1m2.
In An Khanh commune, the total recovered land area is about 3,602.1m2/38 land plots (including land managed by the Commune People's Committee and residential land).
On November 12, 2024, the government signed a record of temporary handover of the land area of public land of about 321.85m2/3. 602.1m2.
On July 24, 2026, An Khanh Commune People's Committee issued a plan to recover land, investigate, survey, measure, and inventory the project implementation. It is expected to complete site handover by October 30.
According to the Project Management Board, the construction contractor no longer has land to deploy the remaining items of the project.
On An Khanh commune side, the remaining volume does not have construction site: Pillar body T6, lower part structure, upper part structure of pillars T7, T8, abutment M1, bridgehead road, service road...
On Hung Dao commune side, the remaining volume does not have construction site: base, M0 abutment body, 30x30 pile driving wall blocking M0 abutment, bridgehead road, service road...
The Project Management Board requests An Khanh and Hung Dao communes to coordinate with the Land Clearance Department - Project Management Board to accelerate land clearance work, and soon hand over the remaining land within the project scope, to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of Hung Dao Commune People's Committee said that the commune government is coordinating with the investor to remove difficulties and obstacles regarding the project site to be implemented soon, ensuring progress.
