Struggling with unfinished bridges and roads
Real-world records in Vi Tan ward (Can Tho City) show that some concrete bridges have been built solidly, completing the main structure, but cannot be put into use due to lack of synchronous access roads.
To overcome this, people have to build access roads themselves with bamboo and wood to connect the bridge with the road. However, temporary walkways are narrow, steep, only enough for one motorbike. When it rains, the bridge surface is slippery, the risk of falling is very high, especially when the bridge is about 3m high above the canal surface.
Ms. Tran Thi Mong Tuong - a resident of Vi Tan ward - shared that every time she crosses the bridge, she is worried, especially when carrying a young child. "Running across this bridge is very scary, I have fallen several times already" - Ms. Tuong said.
According to research, the bridge is in the item of renovating canal 62 under the project to expand and upgrade Vietnam's urban area, the Vi Thanh city sub-project (old), including 6 packages, with a total investment of about 1,000 billion VND from ODA loans, implementation time from 2018-2023. However, the loan agreement ended, so it was not continued. Currently, the unfinished road is about 800m long and 2 bridges are not completed, causing many difficulties for people.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mau - Chairwoman of Vi Tan Ward People's Committee (Can Tho City) - said that some items of the project are still unfinished. The ward has issued a document proposing to departments and branches of the city to continue to invest in completion to bring convenience to people.
Tran Bach Dang bridge project: Many years of waiting, expecting restart
The Tran Bach Dang bridge project, connecting the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Resettlement Area with Cuu Long Resettlement Urban Area, started in 2016, started construction in 2018, expected to connect Tan An and Long Tuyen wards, reducing traffic congestion in the area. However, the construction project is unfinished, many items have just been driven piles and stopped, materials are rusty when exposed to rain and sun, causing waste and affecting people's lives.
Mr. Nguyen Van Danh (Long Tuyen ward, Can Tho city) said that his family was recovered more than 1,000m2 of land along with houses and assets, and was compensated about 1.1 billion VND from 2016 to serve the bridge construction project. When the project started, people were very excited, hoping that travel would be convenient.
Faced with the prolonged and frustrating situation of travel, recently people have contributed labor and money to build temporary roads. The fact that the bridge project has been abandoned for many years has made people feel sorry and worried" - Mr. Nguyen Van Danh shared.
The bridge and access road project passes through Tan An and Long Tuyen wards with a total initial investment of more than 25.7 billion VND, after many adjustments to increase to more than 74.4 billion VND.
In the period 2016 - 2021, the project completed surveying, preparing dossiers, selecting contractors and starting construction. However, from 2021 to 2023, the project encountered many obstacles, especially the prolonged construction site and the contractor requested to terminate the contract, leading to the suspension of implementation.
To date, the project has been allocated about 16.5 billion VND of capital, disbursed nearly 13 billion VND, reaching more than 78% of the plan. Compensation, support and resettlement work has been completed, but the relocation of technical infrastructure, especially the 110kV high-voltage power line, has not yet been implemented.
According to the Can Tho City Traffic and Agricultural Construction Investment Project Management Board, the bridge and access road project from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Resettlement Area to Cuu Long Resettlement Urban Area is completing adjustment procedures.
Mr. Phan Minh Tri - Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Traffic and Agricultural Construction Investment Project Management Board - informed that the unit has completed the adjustment dossier and sent it to the Department of Construction for appraisal, and is currently waiting for results to submit to the City People's Committee for consideration and approval.
After being approved, the project will implement the steps of designing construction drawings and selecting contractors. According to the plan, the project is expected to start construction in the third quarter of 2026, striving to be completed by the end of 2026 and put into use, contributing to completing transport infrastructure and strengthening the connection of resettlement areas in the area.
