There are signs of damage before handover
According to Lao Dong reporters on the road connecting Lang Giang bridge with Provincial Road 161, vehicles can now travel comfortably after all households agreed to hand over the site to the contractor for asphalt paving. Currently, the contractor is in the process of implementing some final items of the landscape, planting trees along both sides of the road.
However, according to people's reflection, although this connecting road has not been handed over, the asphalt road surface has begun to show signs of prolonged subsidence and cracking.
Pointing to reporters the cracks that appeared on the road connecting Lang Giang bridge with Provincial Road 161, Mr. Ly Van Minh (residing in Muc village, Thai Nien commune, Bao Thang district, Lao Cai province) wondered: "The new asphalt road has begun to deteriorate, causing many people living on both sides of the road to worry. I don't know if it will affect the quality of the entire route in the long run."
It is known that the Lang Giang bridge project is invested by the Department of Transport - Construction of Lao Cai province, with a total cost of 258 billion VND. This bridge connects the two banks of the Red River between Xuan Tang ward (Lao Cai city) and Thai Nien commune (Bao Thang district), Provincial Road 161 and National Highway 70. In 2022, this bridge was officially closed and is now in use.
Although the bridge has been completed for a long time, the approach road to Lang Giang bridge has been invested in construction and newly opened with a length of more than 1.2km, worth 55.6 billion VND, and has only now been completed.
Overcome as soon as possible
Receiving information from Lao Dong Newspaper about the quality of the road connecting Lang Giang Bridge with Provincial Road 161, Lao Cai Provincial authorities have conducted an inspection to find solutions to repair and overcome the situation. According to the investor, the major repair is at the section constructed by the contractor Joint Venture of Minh Duc General Construction Company Limited and Lao Cai Construction and Inspection Joint Stock Company.
On June 23, according to the reporter's records on this connecting road, near the resettlement area for households that had to be relocated to serve the project, dozens of meters of plastic roads have been dug up for rebuilding.
Through observation, at the foot of the road below the negative slope, the road rollers were mobilized to re-soak the roadbed. Around the repair area, signs and ropes are wrapped around to ensure traffic safety.
"I don't know why this road has just been paved but has been damaged at many points, some locations still have long cracks. In recent days, the construction unit has been digging up the cracked road to roll it up" - Ms. Vi Thi Mai (residing in Moc village, Thai Nien commune, Bao Thang district) raised the issue.
It is known that according to the design, the section from Lang Giang bridge to the railway overpass has a 25m wide roadbed, 15m road surface; the section from behind the railway overpass to the end of the route intersecting with Provincial Road 161 has a 33m wide roadbed, 15m road surface; the railway overpass consists of a 33m long span, 19m wide. The project started on April 25, 2023, and was originally expected to be completed on December 25, 2023.
Talking to reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper, the leader of the Lao Cai Province Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board said: "When there was a report, we had people check the cracks on the road. However, because the road has not been accepted and handed over, the contractor is repairing and rolling the roadbed to make it more secure".
According to this leader, the subsidence and cracking of the road surface connecting Lang Giang bridge with Provincial Road 161 may be due to many reasons. In the immediate future, the investor and the supervision consulting unit are requiring the contractor to rectify the problem as soon as possible and ensure standards and quality.
