In early October, Phong Chau Bridge was opened to traffic.

At noon on August 9th, continuing his inspection and promotion of infrastructure projects in Phu Tho province, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the progress of the Phong Chau bridge project; and checked the land clearance and resettlement work for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line.

The new Phong Chau Bridge across the Red River, located on National Highway 32, was built after the old Phong Chau Bridge collapsed due to Typhoon Yagi. Connecting the two communes of Phung Nguyen and Van Xuan in Phu Tho province, the bridge is 383 meters long, with approach roads at each end measuring over 110 meters.

The project was launched in late 2024 under an emergency construction order; with a total investment of over 635 billion VND from the central government's contingency budget. The Thang Long Project Management Board, under the Ministry of Construction, is the project's investor, and the construction unit is Brigade 12 - Truong Son Construction Corporation.

Currently, the units are monitoring the progress of the project's components, with some exceeding the schedule. The total project value has reached over 75%, with the goal of joining the bridge sections on August 28th, completing the project by the end of September, and opening the bridge to traffic in early October.

After the old Phong Chau bridge collapsed, people faced great difficulties in transportation. The Prime Minister instructed that this was an emergency situation, requiring the selection of a contractor under special circumstances. This shortened the project time by 3 months and saved significant costs compared to the initial estimate.

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister commended the decisive leadership of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, and the vigorous involvement of the 12th Army Corps, working tirelessly through the Tet holiday and other holidays; ensuring both progress and quality of the project, further enhancing the image of "Uncle Ho's soldiers". The Prime Minister reiterated the spirit of "Glory only comes to those who keep their promises," and expressed his hope that the units would strive to complete the bridge's construction and open it to traffic on schedule, creating favorable conditions for people's travel.

The Prime Minister encouraged the officers and soldiers of Brigade 249, Engineering Corps (Ministry of National Defense) - the unit currently operating the Phong Chau pontoon bridge.

The Prime Minister also surveyed and listened to reports on the proposal from Phu Tho province regarding the construction of a 54km road connecting Hoa Binh ward (formerly Hoa Binh province) with Viet Tri ward (formerly Phu Tho province). The road will open up new development space and a development corridor along the Da River, especially now that the three former provinces of Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, and Vinh Phuc have been merged into Phu Tho province. The Prime Minister agreed in principle and assigned the Ministry of Construction to develop a plan for the road as an expressway, connecting with the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway; coordinate with Phu Tho province to develop the project; and complete all procedures within one year.

On the same day, the Prime Minister inspected the proposed route for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line section passing through Phu Tho province. The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project is approximately 419km long, with its starting point at the border crossing in Lao Cai province and its end point at Lach Huyen station in Hai Phong city. The total investment is over 203,000 billion VND, equivalent to 8.37 billion USD. According to the National Assembly's resolution, the project will commence in December 2025 and aims for completion no later than 2030.

The Prime Minister stated that this is a strategic railway line within the Kunming - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor, connecting with China, Central Asia, and Europe. Therefore, the sooner the project is implemented and completed, the more benefits it will bring.

The Prime Minister requested Phu Tho province to develop a plan for land clearance, separate from the overall project; and to organize the groundbreaking ceremony for land clearance on August 19th.

LAM NGUYEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dau-thang-10-thong-xe-cau-phong-chau-post807597.html