New Phong Chau Bridge
The collapse of Phong Chau bridge on September 9 not only caused pain and loss but also disrupted traffic, affecting the lives of people in Tam Nong district, Lam Thao district along the Red River and many neighboring localities.
Although Phong Chau pontoon bridge has been put into use for more than a month, serving thousands of people and vehicles every day. However, to fully meet the needs of the people and the socio-economic development of Phu Tho province, a new Phong Chau bridge needs to be built.
That is the wish of the majority of people in the province, especially those and families directly affected by the Phong Chau bridge collapse.
Mr. Bui Van Tuyen - owner of a phone repair shop in Phong Chau bridge area (Van Xuan commune, Tam Nong district) is gradually "feeling" the difficulties after nearly 2 months of "sluggish" business, the number of customers has decreased significantly when the whole area is deserted.
"The area from Co Tiet crossroads through Phong Chau bridge (Van Xuan commune) to the center of Huong Non commune (Tam Nong district) used to be very bustling and developed, partly due to the vital Phong Chau bridge. Now that the bridge has collapsed, the impact is obvious, we, the people, really hope that the new bridge will be built and put into use as soon as possible" - Mr. Tuyen confided.
According to the recent Notice No. 484/TB-VPCP of the Government Office stating the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the meeting on the investment in the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C, Phu Tho province, to implement the project in the fastest time, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Transport to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committee of Phu Tho province and relevant agencies: Apply current mechanisms on management of construction investment and emergency construction to carry out the steps of surveying, designing and constructing the project, ensuring the fastest progress.
In December 2024, complete the survey, design, approval of the investment project and start construction; before the 2025 storm season (before April 2025), complete the bridge foundation volume; in 2025, complete the remaining work to put the project into operation.
Love Bridge
In recent years, Cam Khe district, with its rapid industrial development, has seen an increasing need for traffic connections with other districts and towns. Although many new and upgraded roads have been built, there are no bridges along the 30km long Red River section through this district.
The distance between the two bridges on the Red River closest to Cam Khe district, Ha Hoa bridge and Ngoc Thap bridge, is more than 50km. Every day, thousands of people have to cross the river by ferry.
Last September, when the water level of the Red River exceeded historic flood levels, ferry terminals across the river had to temporarily stop serving for many days.
Mr. Nguyen Van Doan (Chuong Xa commune, Cam Khe district) - a worker at Yida Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Song Thao town industrial cluster - expressed: "My company is only a few hundred meters from Chi Chu ferry, every day I see many colleagues having to take the ferry to the company. Like me, if I need to cross the river, I will have to do the same, it is expensive, inconvenient and time-consuming. We, the people, have been waiting for a bridge connecting the two banks of the Red River for a long time."
Recently, Phu Tho voters have reflected and petitioned the Ministry of Transport about their desire to invest in building a bridge across the Red River connecting Cam Khe and Thanh Ba districts.
Responding to this issue, the Ministry of Transport agreed with the voters' proposal to invest in a bridge across the Red River to replace the current Tinh Cuong ferry (connecting Phu Lac, Cam Khe commune with Thanh Ha, Thanh Ba commune) to meet transportation needs, connect traffic conveniently and safely, and serve the local socio-economic development.
However, the Ministry of Transport also stated that because Tinh Cuong Bridge is under the management and investment authority of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee, it is recommended that the province study and balance capital sources, invest in the project soon and notify voters about the scale and investment roadmap; the Ministry of Transport will closely coordinate in the process of implementing the project investment.
