Over $14 million to preserve Long Bien bridge

The Ministry of Transport assigned the Viet Nam Railways Corporation to appraise and approved a project on the preservation of the bridge in the first phrase with an investment of nearly VND298 billion.

Accordingly, the bridge will be upgraded to ensure safety and sever railway transport until 2020.

The bridge will be restored in two phases. In the first phase, it will be reinforced to ensure safety for railway services and traffic to 2020.

In the second phase, the bridge will be renovated into an urban road after the Ha Noi urban rail project, Route 1 (Yen Vien - Ngoc Hoi) is finished.

The 2,290-m bridge was built between 1899 and 1902 by the French, and opened to traffic in 1903.

Long Bien bridge has put into operation more than 110 years so it was heavily damaged, which can cause to safety of railways and traffic on the bridge.

As the only bridge across the Red River that connected Ha Noi to the highway leading to the northern port city of Hai Phong, the bridge played a crucial role in many important events in the country's history, including the independence wars.

A new steel railroad bridge will be built in the vicinity to replace Long Bien Bridge. A profile of the bridge is being compiled so it can be recognised as a national heritage site. 

                                                                                                                                                            By Ngoc Van