Khanh Hoa: People living along Cai River are waiting for a concrete bridge.

Phu Kieng wooden bridge was swept away by flood. By: HIEU GIANG

Early morning of December 9, Pham Nguyen Minh Nhat (grade 6, Cao Thang Secondary School) and his mother went to the northern bank of Cai River, waiting for a boat to take them to the southern bank to go to school.

Each boat carries 5-8 students. The captain asks them to wear life jackets and keep quiet before starting the engine to cross the river.

This boat is owned by a resident of Xuan Ngoc hamlet. Every day, it transports students and people to the other side of the river while waiting for the government to arrange a canoe to ensure safety.

Previously, thousands of people from three groups Xuan Ngoc, Hon Nghe 1 and Hon Nghe 2 on the North bank of Cai River, just one river away from the ward center, traveled across Phu Kieng wooden bridge, nearly 3m wide and 350m long.

In mid-November, a historic flood destroyed the wooden bridge, which has yet to be repaired. To reach the city center, people have to take a detour of more than 10km or risk their lives by boat.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nam (63 years old) said that her family was afraid to let her three children cross the river by boat, so she had to hire a motorbike taxi to take them around, which cost millions of dong each month. Mrs. Nam just hopes to have a concrete bridge to help people suffer less during the rainy season.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thuan (63 years old, Bac Nha Trang ward), built Phu Kieng wooden bridge 24 years ago for people to travel and collect tolls. This year, the flood came unexpectedly, he did not have time to dismantle the bridge, and is having to hire workers to salvage steel bars, wooden planks... that can still be used to build a temporary bridge, which is expected to take a month. "This area has been planned to build a concrete bridge. I will ask the government for permission to move the temporary bridge closer to that location, so that people have a way to travel while waiting for the new bridge," Mr. Thuan said.

According to Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, Vice Chairman of Tay Nha Trang Ward People's Committee, while waiting for the wooden bridge to be restored, the ward has assigned the professional department to advise and allocate funds for a contract to rent canoes to transport students across Cai River according to a fixed schedule, ensuring safety.

On December 3, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee approved the Phu Kieng bridge project made of reinforced concrete, nearly 370m long, with a total investment of nearly 600 billion VND, invested by the Provincial Development Project Management Board. The bridge connects Xuan Ngoc group (North bank) with Luong Dinh Cua street (South bank), implemented in the 2024-2027 period. The project aims to complete the urban traffic network, increase the ability to connect the two banks of Cai River and expand the urban space of Tay Nha Trang ward...

HIEU JIANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/khanh-hoa-nguoi-dan-ven-song-cai-ngong-cho-cau-be-tong-post827750.html