Over 120 years ago, Long Bien Bridge was the first iron bridge connecting the two banks of the Red River in Hanoi , becoming an integral part of the city's history. In the autumn of 1954, the bridge welcomed the victorious army returning to liberate the capital and has played a vital role in connecting trade between the two sides of the river to this day. Many other bridges have been built since then, creating a new, increasingly modern look for the city. They serve both as historical witnesses and as highlights of Hanoi's strong development.
The Long Bien Bridge is an iconic bridge not only of Hanoi but of the entire country throughout the long years of resistance. Built by the French from 1898 to 1902, it was the first steel bridge across the Red River, connecting Hoan Kiem District with Long Bien District. It was a world- renowned structure at the time, built and put into operation with a modern design in the early 20th century.
Hanoi has the Long Bien Bridge.
Long and wide, it spans the Red River.
Trains and buses travel at a leisurely pace.
People were bustling about, carrying their loads back and forth…
According to the design, the Long Bien Bridge is 2,290 meters long across the river and has an 896-meter approach road. It consists of 19 steel girder spans placed on 20 piers over 40 meters high (including the foundation), with the approach road built of stone. The bridge is designed for a single railway line running in the middle, with lanes for motor vehicles and pedestrians on either side. The lanes for vehicles are 2.6 meters wide and the pedestrian walkways are 0.4 meters wide.
One of the unique features that defines the Long Bien Bridge is that traffic flow on the bridge, instead of going in the right direction, is designed to go in the left direction.
The Long Bien Bridge connects three vital railway lines: Hanoi – Dong Dang, Hanoi – Hai Phong , and Hanoi – Lao Cai, with the national railway running radially from the north of Hanoi to the south. Currently, the bridge is in serious disrepair and is constantly being repaired to maintain the Hanoi – Lang Son railway line. The recent Typhoon No. 3 (Yagi) once again tested the resilience of the Long Bien Bridge, a "veteran" that has spanned three centuries.
Nevertheless, to this day, Long Bien Bridge remains the most beautiful bridge in Hanoi. The beauty hidden within the bridge seems to challenge artistic creativity. The bridge's architecture is a harmonious blend of classical and modern styles, creating a special appeal for tourists visiting Hanoi and for young photography enthusiasts, providing creative inspiration for those who love and are attached to this city.
In 1974, the Thang Long Bridge was started construction to meet the increasing traffic demand across the Red River and to relieve pressure on the Long Bien Bridge.
Initially, the Thang Long Bridge was built with assistance from China, but construction stopped after a short time. Due to pressure from traffic demand, the Vietnamese government at the time requested assistance from the Soviet Union, and construction resumed in 1979.
On May 9, 1985, after 11 years of construction, the Thang Long Bridge was put into operation. According to the design, the bridge has a 3,250m long steel truss structure, consisting of two levels with 25 spans in the main bridge section and 46 spans for the railway and non-motorized vehicle access roads. The two separate lanes are 3.5m wide each, for non-motorized vehicles. The middle section of the first level is for trains running on the Van Dien – Bac Hong line and motorcycles and bicycles, 11m wide. The second level is for motorized vehicles, 21m wide, with two lanes for pedestrians.
The Thang Long Bridge is considered a symbolic bridge representing the enduring friendship between Vietnam and the Soviet Union. Even today, when crossing the Thang Long Bridge, many people still notice the plaque symbolizing Vietnam-Soviet friendship erected at the bridge's entrance. The majestic image of a flying dragon blends with the sail-shaped symbol, representing a friendship that will forever reach far and remain strong.
After numerous instances of deterioration, the Thang Long Bridge surface repair project officially commenced in August 2020. Following five months of construction, the Thang Long Bridge reopened to traffic on January 7, 2021, with its load-bearing capacity increased threefold compared to before.
Located near Long Bien Bridge downstream on the Red River, Chuong Duong Bridge is the bridge with the shortest construction time in Vietnam, taking less than two years (from October 1983 to June 1985).
In the 1980s, as Vietnam entered the post-war reconstruction period, the demand for transportation in both the inner and outer areas of Hanoi increased significantly, while only the Long Bien Bridge existed, and the Thang Long Bridge was still under construction. Faced with this urgent situation, and to develop the national economy and ensure traffic flow between the northern provinces, in the spring of 1983, the idea of a project to build a bridge over the Red River at Chuong Duong Wharf was conceived. Initially, the Chuong Duong Bridge was named "Spring Bridge" and designed as a multi-span suspension bridge.
Construction began in October 1983, and the pile driving for the abutments proceeded quickly. However, after six months of construction, recognizing the many inconsistencies between the application of modern technology and the practical realities of the transportation construction industry at that time, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Dong Sy Nguyen had to make a difficult but extremely correct decision: to convert the Mua Xuan suspension bridge into the Chuong Duong rigid bridge.
The Chương Dương Bridge was the first major bridge designed and constructed entirely by Vietnamese engineers. The bridge is 1,230 meters long, consists of 21 spans, and has four lanes for two-way traffic, each 5 meters wide. The initial design estimated it could handle 7,000 vehicles per day, but the traffic volume subsequently increased three to four times.
Today, the Chương Dương Bridge remains one of Hanoi's busiest bridges in terms of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The bridge has made a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the capital, fundamentally solving transportation problems and promoting socio-economic development between Hanoi and the northern provinces and cities. Since the construction of the Chương Dương Bridge, the eastern part of Hanoi has transformed. From villages and rice paddies, bustling urban areas, factories, and streets have sprung up, giving the city the stature of a modern, youthful, and dynamic metropolis. For nearly four decades, the Chương Dương Bridge has proudly stood alongside the capital's development, a witness to the country's progress and an integral part of Hanoi's history.
The Thanh Tri Bridge is one of the longest and widest prestressed reinforced concrete bridges in Vietnam, and it is also a bridge project constructed with many new technological applications.
The Thanh Tri Bridge, which began construction in 2002 and opened to traffic in 2007, had a total investment of 410 million USD. Located on the Ring Road 3, it is a vital transportation artery connecting with National Highway 1A, National Highway 5, and the Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway, resulting in a very high traffic density.
The bridge starts at the intersection with National Highway 1A at Phap Van (Thanh Tri) and ends at the intersection with National Highway 5 at Sai Dong (Gia Lam). The main bridge section is 3,084 m long and 33.1 m wide, divided into 6 lanes, including 4 high-speed lanes allowing a speed of 80 km/h.
The Thanh Tri Bridge, upon its opening, has relieved the heavy traffic pressure on the Chuong Duong Bridge, while significantly redistributing and reducing traffic volume, especially truck traffic, through the inner city of Hanoi. Along with the Hanoi Ring Road 3, the Thanh Tri Bridge connects National Highway 1, linking the Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh economic triangle with the North-South transportation axis, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the Northern Delta region in general and Hanoi in particular.
The Dong Tru Bridge is a special project commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi. Spanning the Duong River and connecting Long Bien District and Dong Anh District, the bridge began construction in 2006 and was inaugurated on October 9, 2014.
According to the design, the bridge is 1.1 km long, 55 m wide with 8 lanes, and has a total investment of 882 billion VND. In addition to the approach roads, the bridge consists of 3 main spans, including 2 side spans of 80 m each and a central span over the river of 120 m.
Initially, the bridge was constructed by the Guangxi Bridge and Road Construction Corporation (China), featuring a concrete-filled steel pipe arch structure – the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. However, in June 2012, this company withdrew from the project, so Hanoi City selected Cienco1 as the main contractor. Upon taking on the project, Cienco1 mobilized over 500 staff and workers, operating in three continuous shifts on the construction site to meet and complete the project on schedule.
With its large scale and stringent technological requirements, the Dong Tru Bridge marked a significant leap forward in the adoption of new scientific and technological advancements in the construction of large-span concrete-filled steel arch bridges by Cienco1 Corporation, and is a prime example of Vietnam's bridge and road construction industry.
Today, the Dong Tru Bridge helps connect the transportation infrastructure in northern Hanoi, creating the Ring Road 2 axis. Vehicles traveling from Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, etc., can easily reach Noi Bai Airport directly.
Beyond its transportation function, the Dong Tru Bridge is also a scenic highlight with its beautiful open-air superstructure. This project also marks a shift in Hanoi's mindset regarding investment in transportation infrastructure.
The Nhat Tan Bridge, located on Hanoi's Ring Road 2, was started in 2009 and inaugurated on January 4, 2015, with a total investment of over 13,600 billion VND. It is Hanoi's first cable-stayed bridge, with a total length of 8,900 meters including the approach roads, and the main bridge section measuring 1,500 meters. Six cable-stayed spans are combined with five rhombus-shaped towers – symbolizing the five city gates.
In addition to the multi-span cable-stayed bridge construction technology, the main bridge section also applies many advanced technologies that are being applied for the first time in Vietnam, such as: steel anchor box technology on the tower piers, a monitoring system with many modern devices such as cable tension measurement, reinforcement stress measurement, steel beam measurement, and especially the steel pipe pile cofferdam foundation structure (SPSP).
The bridge deck is 33.2 meters wide with 8 lanes for both directions, divided into 4 lanes for motor vehicles, 2 lanes for buses, 2 mixed-use lanes, a central divider, and a pedestrian walkway.
The Nhat Tan Bridge was inaugurated simultaneously with the Nhat Tan – Noi Bai Expressway, creating a modern highway that shortens travel time from Noi Bai International Airport to the center of Hanoi by almost half. The Nhat Tan Bridge is considered a symbol of friendship between Vietnam and Japan in their economic and diplomatic relations.
The Nhat Tan Bridge is a unique aesthetic highlight, adding charm to Hanoi. At night, the bridge dons a new, colorful outfit with a modern LED lighting system, creating a captivating scene reflected on the surface of the Red River.
The Vinh Tuy Bridge, spanning the Red River, is part of the Ring Road 2 connecting Hai Ba Trung and Long Bien districts. On February 3, 2005, the first phase of the Vinh Tuy Bridge project commenced with a total investment of nearly 3,600 billion VND and was expected to be completed after two years of construction. However, due to various reasons, including delays in land clearance and rising material costs, the project's cost escalated to 5,500 billion VND, and it was not completed until September 2009.
The main section of the bridge is 5,800 meters long, with the river crossing section measuring 3,700 meters. The Vinh Tuy bridge deck is currently 19 meters wide, and is planned to be expanded to 38 meters in phase 2, making it the widest bridge in Vietnam.
After more than 11 years of operation, in January 2021, Hanoi continued construction of the Vinh Tuy Bridge – Phase 2. This bridge runs parallel to and is designed with a similar shape to the Phase 1 bridge, comprising 4 lanes of traffic. On August 30, 2023, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Vinh Tuy Bridge 2 after more than 2 years of construction.
The Vinh Tuy Bridge helps shorten the route from the center of Hanoi to National Highway 5 leading to Hai Phong and Quang Ninh by about 3 km, reducing congestion on the Chuong Duong and Long Bien bridges.
A particularly striking feature of the Vinh Tuy Bridge is its unique and impressive lighting and decorative lighting system. The decorative lights are installed on tall and short poles, creating undulating waves of light on the bridge's surface at night. Additionally, the bridge is adorned with the image of Khue Van Cac (the Khue Van Cac Pavilion) atop a crane, a symbolic representation of the capital city.
Article by: Bao An (compiled)
Photo: VNA
Editor: Ky Thu
Presented by: Nguyen Ha
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/long-form/emagazine/ha-noi-va-nhung-cay-cau-20240928203633080.htm
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