When will the nearly 2 trillion Ben Rung bridge be opened to traffic?

After 2 years of construction, the Ben Rung Bridge Project with a total investment of nearly 1,950 billion VND invested by Hai Phong was completed on May 13, 2024, but could not be opened to traffic, so it had to be fenced off, closed, and wait for Quang Ninh province to complete the approach road.

Bridge completed, fenced off

At the 16th Session, the People's Council of Hai Phong City, term XV, 2016 - 2021, decided to approve the investment policy of Ben Rung Bridge Project to replace the current Pha Rung Wharf, connecting Thuy Nguyen District (Hai Phong City) and Quang Yen Town (Quang Ninh Province).

Ben Rung Bridge was completed by Hai Phong on May 13, 2024, after 2 years of construction but has not been able to open to traffic yet.

The project's objective is to improve traffic service capacity, create a traffic connection system and meet the travel needs of people in Thuy Nguyen District and Quang Yen Town in particular, and between Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province in general.

Ben Rung Bridge will directly connect Hai Phong Economic Zones and Industrial Parks with Quang Ninh such as: Ben Rung Industrial Park, VSIP Industrial Park (in Dinh Vu - Cat Hai Economic Zone) of Hai Phong City with Dong Mai Industrial Park of Quang Ninh Province; Song Khoai Industrial Park (Quang Yen Town, Quang Ninh Province) with Lach Huyen International Gateway Port (Hai Phong City).

According to the design, Ben Rung Bridge is a prestressed concrete bridge nearly 2 km long; the bridge deck and approach road are 21.5 m wide; 4 motor vehicle lanes and 2 mixed lanes; the main bridge design speed is 80 km/h.

The project has a total investment of nearly 1,950 billion VND from the central budget, Hai Phong city budget and Quang Ninh province budget. Of which, the central budget is 1,100 billion VND, Hai Phong more than 800 billion VND, Quang Ninh 5.5 billion VND (clearance of the bridge section in Quang Ninh).

On May 13, 2022, the project was officially started by the People's Committee of Hai Phong City and is expected to be completed and technically opened to traffic on May 13, 2024.

After 2 years of construction, Ben Rung Bridge has been completed on schedule, ensuring absolute compliance with technical, aesthetic and construction quality requirements according to the design. However, Hai Phong could not open the bridge to traffic on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of Hai Phong's liberation because the construction progress of the approach road connecting to the bridge on the side of Quang Yen town invested by Quang Ninh province was too slow.

To ensure the construction as well as the safety of people and vehicles pulling up to Ben Rung bridge to play, the contractor and project investor were forced to fence off the road and prohibit the bridge.

On June 28, speaking with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporter, Mr. Do Tuan Anh, General Director of Hai Phong Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board, said that currently it is not known when Quang Ninh will complete the access road connecting to the bridge. Therefore, during the time the authorities have not held the opening ceremony, the contractor and investor have temporarily barricaded the access road to the bridge to ensure the safety of the project as well as to prevent bad situations from happening when people go up to the bridge to play.

The Ben Rung Bridge approach road project, 2.3 km long, through Hiep Hoa and Song Khoai communes of Quang Yen town, invested by Quang Ninh province, as of June 24, according to the reporter's records, still has many unfinished construction items. Regarding this, the representative of the approach road project management board admitted that the progress was slow due to unfavorable weather and heavy rain, and said that they are urging the contractor to complete it by July.

People waiting

After the Ben Rung bridge project is completed and put into use, the Rung ferry connecting Quang Yen town (Quang Ninh province) with Thuy Nguyen district (Hai Phong city) will complete its historical mission in connecting traffic and developing the economy and society of Quang Ninh province in particular and the whole region in general.

Many people in Quang Yen Town (Quang Ninh Province) as well as people in Thuy Nguyen District (Hai Phong City) hope that Ben Rung Bridge will open soon so that they do not have to cross the Rung ferry every day.

It has been nearly half a century since the ferry terminal was upgraded to a ferry terminal. At that time, Rung Ferry played an important role in ensuring traffic on Highway 10, the main route connecting Quang Ninh province with Hai Phong city and going to Hai Duong, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh provinces.

After the Da Bac bridge was built, the route of National Highway 10 was adjusted, and the number of passengers and vehicles on the Rung ferry was reduced. Currently, the Rung ferry terminal still operates one ferry and one motorboat to transport people and vehicles across the historic Bach Dang River from 4:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. every day.

To facilitate people's travel as well as connect regional traffic to serve the socio-economic development between the two provinces and cities, Hai Phong has established a project and invested in building Ben Rung Bridge. Up to now, Ben Rung Bridge has been completed and people of the two localities are waiting for the day it opens to traffic.

Working as a worker at VSIP Industrial Park, Thuy Nguyen District (Hai Phong City) for 4 years now, Ms. Nguyen Thi H., living in Quang Yen Town (Quang Ninh Province) shared that when she learned that Ben Rung Bridge would open to traffic on May 13, 2024, she and many friends from the same hometown working in Hai Phong were very happy because after this day, they would not have to depend on and spend a lot of time traveling across the Rung ferry. However, after the bridge was completed, people could not move across, making Ms. H. feel a bit sad.

People buy tickets via Rung ferry to move to Quang Yen town (Quang Ninh province)

Sharing the same feelings as Ms. H., Mr. Tran Lam (Hai Phong City), a truck driver, is waiting for the ferry to Quang Yen, saying that his job often moves from Thuy Nguyen District to Quang Yen Town to deliver goods, so waiting for the ferry is very inconvenient.

“Going by highway through Bach Dang bridge or National Highway 10 through Uong Bi city is too far and expensive,” said Mr. Lam, who hopes that Quang Ninh province will speed up the progress of the access road so that Hai Phong city can open Ben Rung bridge for people to travel.

Ben Rung Thong Bridge and Rung Ferry are closed, meaning that some households in Tam Hung Commune (Thuy Nguyen District) who have been selling drinks for a living for many years at the ferry wharf no longer have customers.

Mr. H., who sells water right at the wharf, confided: “It’s sad that the ferry has stopped operating, but it’s an inevitable trend of social development. Nowadays, ferries and boats can’t last forever. The Ben Rung bridge is the dream and aspiration of many people living along the Bach Dang river for a long time, and now it has come true. It’s a pity that the bridge has been completed but has not yet been opened to traffic.”

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bao-gio-cau-ben-rung-gan-2-nghin-ti-moi-duoc-mo-rao-chan-va-thong-xe-185240625091955509.htm