Two new bridges will replace the Duong Bridge.

Báo Quân đội Nhân dân•22/07/2023

On July 22nd, in Gia Lam district (Hanoi), the Ministry of Transport , in coordination with the Hanoi People's Committee and relevant units, held a ceremony to launch the construction of the Duong River waterway upgrade project (Duong railway bridge).

The project to upgrade the Duong River waterway (Duong railway bridge) was approved by the Ministry of Transport in Decision No. 1009/QD-BGTVT dated July 26, 2022, in which the Railway Project Management Board was assigned as the investor.

According to Mr. Vu Hong Phuong, Director of the Railway Project Management Board (Ministry of Transport), the waterway route across the Duong River plays a crucial role in the circulation of goods from Quang Ninh and Hai Phong to Viet Tri (Phu Tho) and surrounding areas. The Duong Bridge, built in 1902, has a low clearance, failing to meet the standards for inland waterway classification. 600-ton vessels can only pass under the bridge when the tide is low, causing congestion and hindering waterway transport, posing a potential safety risk. Investing in raising the clearance of the Duong Bridge is essential to ensure traffic safety, improve connectivity, and contribute to the development of the area north of the Red River.

The Duong Bridge currently serves both road and rail traffic. Photo: LE KHANH

The project is being implemented in Thuong Thanh ward, Duc Giang ward, Long Bien district and Yen Vien town, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, and includes railway bridges, road bridges and access roads.

The railway bridge and access road project has its starting point at approximately Km9+75 and its ending point at approximately Km10+75 (according to the existing railway alignment); the total length is 1,000m; the bridge's centerline is approximately 16.5m upstream from the centerline of the old Duong Bridge, coinciding with the planned location for the construction of Hanoi urban railway line No. 1.

The railway bridge consists of 6 steel girder and truss spans, 280m long, built to accommodate single-track railways with gauges of 1,000mm and 1,435mm; designed speed of 80km/h. The navigable clearance is phased in with a clearance of 7m, reaching 9.5m in the completed phase; the width of the navigation channel is over 50m. The bridge includes a pedestrian walkway on the right side of the route (downstream of the bridge). The approach roads at both ends of the railway bridge are 720m long, classified as Class 2 single-track railways with gauges of 1,000mm and 1,435mm; designed speed of 80km/h.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy speaks at the ceremony. Photo: LE KHANH

The bridge and access road project starts at the intersection at the beginning of the old Duong Bridge on Ngo Gia Tu Street, in Long Bien District; and ends at the intersection of Ha Huy Tap Street and Phan Dang Luu Street, in Gia Lam District, Hanoi. The project includes a main route approximately 700m long and the intersections at both ends of the bridge; the bridge centerline is approximately 100m downstream from the centerline of the old Duong Bridge.

The project includes a 382m long road bridge over the Duong River, with an approach bridge width of 16m and a main bridge width of 18.5m. The approach road is 318m long and, in the completed phase, will be a main urban road with a design speed of 80km/h, a width of 6 lanes for motorized vehicles and 2 lanes for mixed traffic; in the phased construction, it will meet the standards of a main urban road with a scale of 4 lanes for motorized vehicles.