Song Lo Bridge incident exposes shortcomings in construction and post-inspection of construction works

On the afternoon of November 11, the survey team of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, led by Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hai, Chairman of the Committee, worked with the People's Committee of Phu Tho province to survey the deterioration of Song Lo bridge (in Doan Hung commune, Phu Tho province) to contribute more opinions to complete the draft Law on Construction (amended).

The ban on all people and vehicles passing through the bridge has isolated more than 2,500 households with 9,700 people in the old Hop Nhat commune, making it difficult for them to access essential services such as health care and education .

The quality of this bridge last week caused public outrage because after the water receded, the foundation piles were exposed with almost no protective layer of concrete, but only clay and rusty steel, with a high risk of collapse and unsafe for passersby.

The survey of the deterioration of the Song Lo Bridge aims to collect practical information, directly serving the legislative work of the National Assembly ; thereby identifying inadequacies and imperfections in policies and laws to make recommendations to complete the draft Law, ensure feasibility and tighten discipline and state management in the construction sector. Also at the working session, representatives of relevant units reported and discussed frankly about the current situation of the Song Lo Bridge. On that basis, delegates gave comments based on practice to complete the draft Law to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration.

At the working session, Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee Tran Duy Dong suggested that the draft Law on Construction (amended) should clearly stipulate the decentralization and delegation of authority, attaching responsibility to the assigned local authorities; allow the establishment of Commune-level Construction Project Management Boards in accordance with actual conditions, linked to the capacity and resources of communes and wards; have regulations on costs for selecting consulting units when constructing projects; provide sufficient funding for maintenance of works after they are put into use. The draft Law has regulations on the process of hiring consultants and a specific mechanism to handle works in emergency situations; have specific regulations on hiring experts with sufficient capacity and qualifications to supervise works throughout the project implementation process.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quang, Director of the Department of Construction of Phu Tho province, suggested that the draft Law should have more specific regulations on the mobilization mechanism and coordination responsibilities of consulting organizations and experts when local construction incidents occur. Regulations must be clear enough to avoid evasion, delay or shirking of responsibility, especially in cases related to construction safety and people's lives. This will be an important legal basis, helping localities to be more proactive in handling incidents and ensuring effective state management in the construction sector.

Appreciating the opinions of Phu Tho province contributing to the draft Law on Construction (amended), Chairman of the Committee for Science , Technology and Environment Nguyen Thanh Hai emphasized that the incident of Song Lo bridge has clearly revealed a number of shortcomings in construction and post-inspection of construction works related to the Law on Construction that need to be supplemented and amended.

Stating that decentralization and delegation of authority must be closely linked to implementation capacity in accordance with legal regulations, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hai also requested that the People's Committee of Phu Tho province urgently deploy solutions to overcome incidents to ensure the lives and safety of people when traveling through Song Lo bridge; continue to clarify responsibilities and strictly handle violations related to the Song Lo bridge incident; continue to review, inspect, and re-evaluate the safety of the road bridge system in the province...

The working group will compile all recommendations to propose to the drafting agency to add to the draft Law, aiming to close the management gap, improve the quality and safety of construction works, and minimize the risk of similar incidents recurring in the future.

Regarding the damage to the Lo River Bridge, the Provincial People's Committee has directed the Department of Construction to organize traffic diversion through the Lo River Bridge to ensure people's safety. In particular, from October 27, the Department of Construction of Phu Tho province has announced the temporary suspension of the bridge construction and traffic diversion through the Lo River Bridge to survey and evaluate in order to come up with a solution.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/su-co-cau-song-lo-boc-lo-bat-cap-trong-thi-cong-hau-kiem-cong-trinh-xay-dung-20251111215634409.htm