$70mn structure to replace 120-year-old bridge in Hanoi

Spanning the Duong River, the Duong Bridge has long been one of Hanoi’s most important transport structures.

It also serves as a key transportation corridor connecting the Vietnamese capital with neighboring Bac Ninh Province.

One of the bridge’s distinctive features is its dual function, carrying both road and railway traffic.

Originally constructed by the French in the late 19th century, the bridge was officially opened to traffic in 1902.

During wartime, the Duong Bridge suffered severe damage and was later partially reconstructed before reopening in 1981.

However, the aging structure has increasingly struggled to meet modern transportation demands.

The bridge provides a clearance of only 2.8 meters and a navigational channel width of 26 meters, creating difficulties for vessels passing underneath, particularly during flood seasons.

Decades of continuous use and growing traffic volumes have also led to significant deterioration.

As such, it is vital to upgrade or replace the bridge to ensure safety and improve transport efficiency.

The Duong River waterway transport upgrade project was launched in July 2023 with a total investment of some VND1.85 trillion.

The project consists of two major components, including a 1,000-meter-long railway bridge, about 16.5 meters from the existing Duong Bridge, and a 700-meter-long separate road bridge, located around 100 meters downstream from the centerline of the current bridge.

Construction had previously faced delays out of land clearance challenges.

The Ministry of Construction has recently instructed the project investor to review whether contractors currently possess sufficient capacity to meet the project schedule.

To accelerate progress, the ministry has also directed the project management board to reassess and develop detailed implementation schedules for each construction component.

Most of the land required for the project has been handed over to the investor by Viet Hung Ward and Phu Dong Commune following the ministry’s directive.

Contractors are currently carrying out construction activities across all areas where site clearance has been completed.

Under the plan, once the new bridge complex is put into service, the old Duong Bridge will be officially dismantled.