The degraded state of Long Bien Bridge before renovation and repair

The degraded state of Long Bien Bridge before renovation and repair

Sunday, October 13, 2024 09:44 AM (GMT+7)

The Hanoi Department of Transport has just submitted to the Hanoi People's Committee a project to research and repair Long Bien Bridge in the short term.

Accordingly, the Hanoi Department of Transport said that the current status of Long Bien Bridge, managed by the Ministry of Transport, mainly serves the operation of the national railway. In 2023, the French Embassy sent an Open Letter to the Hanoi People's Committee, supporting the city with about 700,000 EURO for consulting, technical support, and research on plans to renovate and repair Long Bien Bridge. Photo by Le Bich.

The project consists of three parts. The first part is to survey and evaluate the current status of Long Bien Bridge; the second part is to recommend details and items that need to be repaired in the short term; the third part is to manage and exploit the bridge after it is no longer used for the national railway and hand it over to Hanoi City. Based on the agreed contents, Hanoi City has assigned the Hanoi Department of Transport to sign a memorandum of understanding in early 2024. This is a non-refundable aid from the French agency.

Currently, the Hanoi Department of Transport has officially submitted the project to the Department of Planning and Investment and the Hanoi People's Committee for consideration and approval.

According to Dan Viet reporters, the road surface for bicycles and motorbikes is currently uneven and has many potholes. There are also many convex and concave sections on the bridge that pose a potential risk to traffic safety.

Authorities had to put up many warning signs to warn people passing by to pay attention.

According to local residents, every time vehicles pass by, the bridge surface shakes violently, creating a feeling of insecurity for traffic participants, especially during rush hour when traffic is heavy.

In addition, the steel frames, railings, and fences have rusted, worn out, and warped over time. The concrete walls are peeling and broken in many places, exposing the steel reinforcement inside. Moving on the bridge, you can see some large holes appear, standing from the bridge you can see through the Red River water below. In addition, the wooden pillars supporting the rails have also deteriorated despite being replaced and repaired many times.

Concrete slabs on the pedestrian walkways on both sides of the bridge were also cracked.

After 122 years of operation, Long Bien Bridge has shown signs of subsidence, broken pieces, holes, and long cracks that allow water to see through the Red River bed.

Every day, the traffic volume across Long Bien Bridge is very high. After many repairs, the bridge still cannot overcome the uneven condition of the bridge surface.

The construction of Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi was started by the French government in 1898 with the purpose of connecting traffic and facilitating colonial exploitation. The bridge was completed after more than 3 years with the original name of Paul Doumer. The current name of Long Bien Bridge was given by Hanoi Mayor Tran Van Lai in 1945.

Currently, Hanoi has built many more bridges across the Red River to serve the travel needs of the people such as Chuong Duong Bridge, Nhat Tan Bridge, Vinh Tuy Bridge. However, Long Bien Bridge is the only bridge over 122 years old, with a railway line running through the bustling Old Quarter. In addition, Long Bien Bridge also connects 3 districts of Hanoi: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh and Long Bien.

Long Bien Bridge was designed in the cantilever style that Daydé & Pillé first applied to the bridge in Tobiac (Paris) on the Paris-Orleans railway line in France. The bridge is 1,862m long, consisting of 19 steel girder spans and stone approach roads.

Thanh Tam

Source: https://danviet.vn/hien-trang-xuong-cap-cua-cau-long-bien-truoc-khi-cai-tao-sua-chua-2024101209372055.htm