Phong Chau Bridge opened to traffic 3 months early, saving nearly 200 billion VND

One year after the collapse of Phong Chau Bridge over the Red River, the new bridge was built and opened to traffic this morning, three months ahead of schedule.

Phong Chau Bridge opened to traffic this morning. Photo: Ministry of Construction .

This morning (September 28), the Ministry of Construction coordinated with Phu Tho province to organize the inauguration and opening ceremony of the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C. The project was deployed under an emergency construction order and completed 3 months ahead of schedule.

The new Phong Chau Bridge is more than 383m long, 20.5m wide, and constructed of prestressed reinforced concrete. The approach roads at both ends of the bridge are nearly 270m long.

The total initial investment was estimated at about 635 billion VND from the central budget, with the Thang Long Project Management Board (Ministry of Construction) as the investor. After completion, the actual cost was only about 439 billion VND, saving nearly 200 billion VND compared to the estimate.

Construction began in December 2024, after the old Phong Chau Bridge collapsed due to storm No. 3 and floods, cutting off traffic on Highway 32C. To remedy the situation, the Ministry of National Defense arranged a temporary pontoon bridge operated by the 249th Engineering Brigade, serving an average of 15,000 people and vehicles passing through each day.

The newly put into operation Phong Chau Bridge helps connect the two banks of the Red River, restore traffic on National Highway 32C, facilitate the connection between Tam Nong district and Lam Thao district and neighboring localities. The project not only has economic and social significance but also contributes to ensuring security and defense of Phu Tho province and the region.

The remaining capital after construction, about 361 billion VND compared to the capital level assigned by the Prime Minister, is expected to be used to invest in upgrading the road connecting the new Phong Chau bridge with the inter-regional road, 5 km long, grade III road standards, implementation period from 2025 to 2027.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/cau-phong-chau-thong-xe-som-3-thang-tiet-kiem-gan-200-ty-dong-post296422.html