Establish a working group to implement the Phong Chau bridge construction project.

The Ministry of Transport has just issued a decision to establish a working group to implement the investment project for the construction of the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C in Phu Tho province under an emergency construction order.

The working group comprises 21 members from various agencies and units, including: the Department of Construction Investment Management, the Planning and Investment Department, the Finance Department, the Department of Transport Infrastructure, the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, the Thang Long Project Management Board, the Vietnam Road Administration, and the Phu Tho Department of Transport. Mr. Le Quyet Tien, from the Department of Construction Investment Management, serves as the group leader.

The scene of the Phong Chau bridge collapse. Photo by Ta Hai.

The task force is responsible for directly and regularly monitoring and directing the organization and implementation of the investment project to build the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C in Phu Tho province.

The investor, Thang Long Project Management Board, is directed to develop an emergency implementation plan for the Project, serving as a basis for monitoring and urging the Project's implementation to ensure completion within 2025 as directed by the Prime Minister.

Simultaneously, weekly progress reviews should be conducted; monthly reports on implementation results should be submitted to the Ministry of Transport; difficulties and obstacles should be promptly identified, solutions should be studied, and the investor should be directed to implement them within their authority, accelerating project progress or advising the Ministry of Transport to consider and decide.

According to the Thang Long Project Management Board, the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C is expected to start construction in December 2024 and be completed in December 2025, with a construction period of approximately one year.

According to the plan, by mid-November 2024, the investment plan for the new Phong Chau bridge will be submitted for comments from specialized units, then approved for investment and construction will begin in December of this year.

Currently, the proposed new bridge alignments include: aligning with the existing centerline (negligible land acquisition); 500m downstream from the old bridge (difficult to ensure construction progress due to the large land acquisition area); aligning with the old bridge's centerline or having the new bridge's centerline offset by 1m (land acquisition is still required at both ends of the bridge).

Previously, the Ministry of Transport issued Decision No. 1131/QD-BGTVT dated September 14, 2024, declaring a state of emergency due to natural disasters to respond to and repair damage to transport infrastructure at Phong Chau Bridge.

The Phong Chau Bridge construction project has been assigned to the Thang Long Project Management Board for management and construction in Tam Nong and Lam Thao districts (Phu Tho province), from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025. The construction cost is approximately 800 billion VND, funded from the central government's contingency budget for 2024.

The collapse of Phong Chau bridge at Km 18+300 on National Highway 32C, connecting Tam Nong and Lam Thao districts (Phu Tho province), occurred around 10:00 AM on September 9th, sweeping away pier T7 and two main truss spans (spans 6 and 7 on the right bank of the Thao River, in Tam Nong district), causing many people, cars, and motorbikes to fall into the river.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/lap-to-cong-tac-trien-khai-du-an-xay-dung-cau-phong-chau-192241114180757497.htm