The people of Le Bac are eagerly awaiting the new bridge.

Crossing the floodwaters to carry their children to school.

Parents in Le Bac village take their children to school during the rainy season and floods. Photo: NQ

In sunny weather, people in Le Bac village travel along the concrete road, but during the rainy season, large volumes of water from upstream cause the road connecting the island in the middle of the Thu Bon River to be deeply submerged, with strong currents isolating hundreds of households in the village.

When the water level on the concrete road is less than 0.5m, they wade across to the other side, but when the water level is over 1m, they have to use small boats to get to the mainland. This same branch of the river has also claimed many lives of the people of Le Bac village whenever storms and heavy rains come.

The students travel to school in small boats. Photo: NQ

Mr. Ho Dien (50 years old, Group 1, Le Bac village) said that from August to November of the lunar calendar every year, if the rainfall exceeds 150mm, the houses of the villagers are flooded to a depth of 1-1.5m. In 2024, heavy rain combined with rising river levels caused the villagers to suffer from flooding three times.

During the rainy season, it is very difficult for villagers to travel to the mainland, especially for women going to the market and students going to school early. Crossing the river requires relying on ferries, and by around 6:30 a.m., the small ferries are already packed with people, causing many to be late for the market and class.

"To keep my children safe on their way to school, during the rainy season I would wade across the river carrying them, or follow them on a small boat to bring rice and fish sauce to the village where they stayed until the water receded before daring to return home."

"For students in the village, getting an education is quite difficult. Sometimes, when I see the children coming home from school, I think they've been planting rice because their clothes are covered in mud, and their books are soaked with water. It breaks my heart to think about it," Mr. Dien shared.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuong, head of Le Bac village, Le Bac village has about 300 households with more than 1,500 inhabitants, whose livelihoods mainly depend on agriculture and livestock farming.

During the rainy season, people face difficulties traveling due to water flowing down the stream. The local government has invested in a small canoe to transport villagers and students to school, but this is still a struggle.

People rejoice upon hearing the news of the bridge construction.

During the rainy season, the road connecting Le Bac village is deeply submerged in water. Photo: NQ

For decades, the people of Le Bac village have been eagerly awaiting the government's investment in building a bridge across the village to facilitate easier travel. Once the bridge is completed, the villagers will be able to travel and transport goods more safely and quickly, contributing to the local economy .

Mr. Dien was delighted to hear the news about the construction of the Le Bac bridge. Photo: NQ

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuong, head of Le Bac village, added that recently the commune's People's Committee measured the land and invited residents to a meeting to agree on compensation for about 15-16 households whose land was affected, and they all responded enthusiastically.

Regarding the remaining state-owned land, the commune will reclaim it before the bridge construction begins. "When we heard the news in 2024 that the Le Bac bridge project was about to start construction, the villagers were overjoyed," Mr. Phuong said excitedly.

The location for the road opening has been marked by the relevant authorities. Photo: NQ

Reportedly, in 2022, the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee agreed to allow the Duy Xuyen District People's Committee to build a bridge across Le Bac village, Duy Chau commune. The estimated cost for this bridge is approximately 45 billion VND.

Flood shelters for residents of Le Bac are built sturdily. Photo: NQ

According to Mr. Nguyen The Duc, Vice Chairman of the Duy Xuyen District People's Committee, the Le Bac bridge project was approved with a total investment of 84.3 billion VND, of which the provincial budget contributed 70% and the district budget contributed 30%.

The bridge connects Duy Xuyen district and Dien Ban district, linking to Dai Loc district via Van Ly bridge (Dien Ban). Construction began on December 2, 2024, and is expected to be completed in December 2025.

The bridge has the following scale and technical standards: Reinforced concrete and prestressed reinforced concrete, bridge width: 8.0 m + 2 x 0.5 m = 9.0 m, bridge length 309 m, approach roads at both ends over 350 m, asphalt concrete surface, the bridge is located directly above the headquarters of the People's Council and People's Committee of Duy Chau commune, Duy Xuyen district.

"This is one of the key projects to welcome the Duy Xuyen District Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term. It is an urgent project, fulfilling the aspirations of generations of people in Duy Chau commune and neighboring localities."

Once completed and put into operation, the project will eliminate the need for ferry crossings, helping to reduce losses of life and property for the people, especially during the rainy season and floods.

"This transportation project, along with the Van Ly - Dien Ban bridge project and the Giao Thuy Duy Xuyen - Dai Loc bridge project, not only facilitates convenient transportation between the districts of Nong Son, Duy Xuyen, Dien Ban, and Dai Loc, but also connects transportation with Da Nang city, making a significant contribution to promoting the socio-economic development of Duy Xuyen district and neighboring districts in the future," Mr. Duc shared.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nguoi-dan-le-bac-ngong-doi-cau-moi-3145582.html