Looking forward to the day when the bridge over the Thai Binh River is completed.

In the middle of the Thai Binh River, a new bridge is gradually taking shape, connecting the communes of Ha Dong and Lac Phuong (Hai Phong).

Preparations are underway to join the middle span of the Thai Binh River bridge.

The days of being "separated by rivers and ferries" are almost over.

These days, the construction site of the extended Provincial Road 396, connecting Provincial Road 391 to Provincial Road 390, is bustling with activity. Trucks carrying materials line up to enter and exit, machinery operates continuously, and workers are busy on the bridge and road construction fronts.

As the crow flies, Lac Phuong commune is only a few kilometers from Ha Dong commune. However, for many years, people on both sides of the river who wanted to cross had to take a detour of tens of kilometers or rely on the Bau or Lang ferries.

During rainy and stormy days, and high tides, travel becomes even more difficult and poses many safety risks. Ms. Phan Thi Hanh from Lac Phuong commune shared: "We people have been hoping for this bridge for a long time. When we saw the project underway, everyone was excited. Every day we pass by, we look forward to the bridge being completed soon so that travel will be more convenient and safer."

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Long excitedly said: “For so many years, the river was blocked by ferry, and to visit friends and relatives, we always had to take a roundabout route. Since the bridge construction started, I've been regularly checking on the progress. I just hope the bridge will be put into use soon.”

Not only is it a long-awaited project for people living along the riverbanks, the extended Provincial Road 396 is also expected to become an important inter-regional transportation artery. The road will create connectivity between the areas of Binh Giang, Thanh Mien, Ninh Giang, Tu Ky, and Thanh Ha with the center of Hai Phong, and will also directly connect to the Hanoi -Hai Phong expressway and National Highway 37.

The project was approved by the People's Committee of Hai Duong province (formerly) in Decision No. 1969/QD-UBND dated September 15, 2023, with a total length of approximately 7.61 km. The route starts at the intersection with Provincial Road 391 at the East-West axis in Lac Phuong commune, crosses the Thai Binh River to Ha Dong commune, and ends at the intersection with Provincial Road 390 in the area of ​​the Quang Thanh bridge access road.

According to the design, the road is built to the standards of a Class III road in a flat area, with a design speed of 80 km/h, a roadbed width of 12 m, and a road surface width of 11 m. The highlight of the project is the bridge over the Thai Binh River, nearly 910 m long and 12 m wide, with a modern prestressed reinforced concrete structure, ensuring waterway traffic for the Class III river route.

The project has a total investment of over 846 billion VND from the city's budget, including over 565 billion VND for construction costs and over 186 billion VND for land clearance costs. The project will be implemented from 2023 to 2027, with the Hai Phong Agricultural and Rural Development Construction Investment Project Management Board as the investor.

Construction Package No. 20 is being undertaken by the 396 Joint Venture, comprising Northern Electrical Equipment Repair Joint Stock Company, Viet Hoa Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company, and Khang Nguyen Infrastructure Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, with a contract value of over 480 billion VND. Construction commenced in January 2025 and is expected to be completed on September 30, 2026.

For the section of the bridge over the Thai Binh River, contractors have completed 128 bored piles, finished the construction of all bridge abutments and most of the bridge piers. Dozens of Super T girder segments have been cast, the bridge decks have been completed, and preparations are underway for joining the middle span over the river.

Construction of the bridge over the Thai Binh River is being accelerated.

Mr. Pham Quy Nghi, Director of the Management Board and Chief Commander of the project under Khang Nguyen Infrastructure Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, said that taking advantage of favorable weather conditions, the unit mobilized maximum manpower and equipment, and organized construction in multiple shifts to accelerate progress in conjunction with the disbursement of public investment capital.

The workers are speeding up construction and dividing into multiple teams.

Viet Hoa Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company currently maintains 6 construction teams, including 4 road teams and 2 bridge teams. The road teams focus on handling weak soil, constructing foundations, and box culverts.

The bridge construction teams are currently casting girders, constructing the bridge decks on both sides of the route, building transverse drainage culverts, and preparing to complete the entire route according to plan.

The project is accelerating day by day. Bridge spans are gradually being extended between the two banks of the Thai Binh River, opening up transportation routes and creating expectations for new development in the entire region.

With many large-scale infrastructure projects underway, such as the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line and the Hai Phong Special Economic Zone covering approximately 5,300 hectares in the Binh Giang and Thanh Mien areas, the connecting role of the extended Provincial Road 396 becomes even more important.

Once the project is completed, the situation of "being separated by the river by ferry" will end. The ferry crossings that have been a long-standing part of the lives of people living along the river will become less frequent, replaced by long lines of vehicles on the new bridge. Along with this bridge, opportunities for trade, attracting investment, and developing industry and services will also expand, creating momentum for socio-economic development in the entire region in the future.

MINH NGUYEN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/mong-ngay-noi-nhip-cau-song-thai-binh-543919.html