Can Tho Bridge, Vietnam

Can Tho Bridge, Vietnam

 

Can Tho Bridge

The Can Tho bridge spans over Hau river and connects Can Tho City and Vinh Long province in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam. It is a steel-concrete hybrid structure cable stayed bridge built on National Highway 1 in the Can Tho city, Southern Vietnam.

The Government of Vietnam has built the bridge in April 2010 to avoid the traffic congestion on the National Highway 1A and reduce the journey time between Can Tho and Vinh Long. The bridge is currently being owned and operated by Ministry of Transport and Communication of Vietnam.

The bridge is one among five of the largest bridges in Japan and ten of the longest bridges in the world.

Contractors

The Can Tho bridge was designed by CHODAI Co. and constructed by the consortium of Japan-based Taisei Corporation, Kajima Construction and Nippon Steel (TKN), and French sub contractors VSL and Vinacrete Pumping Systems.

"The bridge is one among five of the largest bridges in Japan and ten of the longest bridges in the world."

TKN was the prime contractor responsible for the construction of the bridge. VSL in cooperation with Vinacrete Pumping Systems (VPS) offered concrete and concrete pumping services to the bridge.

Taisei Corporation and Kajima Construction were suspended for one year by the Vietnam Government in July 2009. These two Japanese companies were banned as the bridge support construction they were involved in had broken down.

Financing

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved the funds for the Can Tho project through Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Vietnamese Government.

About ¥24,847m was approved by JBIC in March 2001, for the project, as part of the Japanese Special Yen (ODA) loan facility. The remaining amount was funded by the Vietnamese Government from its state budget. The project has been insured for $200m by Petrolimex Joint Stock Insurance Company and PetroVietnam Insurance Company.

Project

The Can Tho bridge project began in September 2004. It was originally intended for completion on 14 December 2008, but delayed as the bridge collapsed in September 2007. The bridge was finally inaugurated on 24 April 2010.

The Can Tho bridge has replaced the ferry transportation system to relieve the traffic congestions occurring on the National Highway 1A. The Cuu Long (Can Tho) bridge construction project provides employment, boosts the state's economy and enhances the efficiency of transport and distribution sectors, while recovering the Vietnamese economy quickly.

Can Tho Bridge design

The superstructure, substructures and approach roads of the Can Tho bridge are designed as per the AASHTO LRFD standards. CHODAI Co.has played a major role during the design phase of bridge.

The total length of the bridge is 2.75km and deck width is 23.1m. The pylon height and longest span of the bridge are 174.3m and 550m respectively. The bridge features six lanes including four traffic lanes and two pedestrian lanes. The 39m vertical clearance of the Cuu Long facilitates large ships to transit below the bridge.

Can Tho Bridge construction

The construction of Can Tho bridge was divided into three phases namely Phase I, Phase II and Phase III.

"The Can Tho bridge has replaced the ferry transportation system to relieve traffic."

Phase I included the construction of 5.4km access road from Vinh Long to the province of Hau River. The loan for phase I was funded by Japanese Official Development Agency (ODA) in March 2001. During the implementation of the Phase I programme, the approach ramp of 90m section located 30m high from the ground collapsed on 26 September 2007, leading to suspension of construction for 11 months. The approach ramp was constructed above a small island on the Vinh long side. About 59 people died and 140 were injured in the accident.

Phase II involved development of the bridge required to cross the Hau River. The ¥4,626m ($51.26m) funds for phase II were released in March 2010 by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for bridge construction, procurement of supplies, and procurement and installation of equipment.

The scope of work in Phase II included testing the concrete pumping systems of VPS as per the technical standards of VSL and TKN. After completion of one-month concrete pumping tests in various conditions, VPS began to pump concrete directly into the Can Tho bridge on 18 April 2007. Concrete was successfully pumped through various bends via 200m horizontal pipes and 35m vertical pipes. The pylons were constructed with robust concrete.

A 7.7km access road from Can Tho was constructed in Phase III. With the completion of the third phase, the Can Tho bridge project was successfully concluded in April 2010.

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Dragon River Bridge, Da Nang, Vietnam

Dragon River Bridge, Da Nang, Vietnam

The Dragon River Bridge is currently under construction over the Han River in the port city of Da Nang, Vietnam.

The Han River splits the city in two, with the airport on the western side and beaches to the east. The bridge will be the sixth to span the river, and takes its name because its design resembles a dragon, a creature with cultural significance in the country.

Construction of the Dragon River Bridge began with a groundbreaking ceremony on 19 July 2009 – the same day that the nearby Thuan Phuoc Bridge was inaugurated. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended both events.

It is expected that the Dragon River Bridge will be completed by the end of 2012, and that the project will cost about 1.5bn VND ($88m).

Purpose

The construction of the Dragon River Bridge was approved in 2008 as part of wider plans to develop the urban transport system in Da Nang, particularly along the banks of the Han River. It will also relieve congestion on the Han River Bridge in Da Nang's cultural centre – the route most tourists use to reach the city's beaches.

"The bridge will relieve congestion on the Han River Bridge."

Once completed, the bridge will connect the Nguyen Van Linh Highway on the west bank (starting at the Cham Museum) with the seaside highway, Son Tra-Dien Ngoc, on the east bank. This will allow tourists to travel between the Da Nang International Airport and the beaches quickly.

The bridge will also ease travel to Da Nang's Vietnam Television Centre, and is expected to boost the economy.

Designing the Dragon River Bridge

The Dragon River Bridge will be 670m long, 37.5m wide and have six lanes for traffic. Each lane will be 3.75m wide, and there will be a 6m separator strip between traffic travelling in opposite directions. The bridge will also have two 2.5m-wide sidewalks.

The bridge will have a standing vibration level of six and navigational clearance of about 7m. It will have a major span of 200m and two sidespans of 128m. The head span of the dragon's head will measure 72m and tail span 64m.

Contractors

"The Dragon River Bridge will be 670m long, 37.5m wide and have six lanes for traffic."

The Da Nang People's Committee selected the Louis Berger Group and Ammann & Whitney to design the bridge, roadways, and the public plazas and squares on each side.

Construction is being carried out by Bridge Company No. 75 and Company No. 508 (an affiliate of Civil Construction Engineering Corporation No.5). Construction will be supervised by the HaFICo Group and XFZ – GACS-China.

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Phu My Bridge, Vietnam

Phu My Bridge, Vietnam

Phu My Bridge is the first cable-stayed bridge to be constructed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It forms a link to the outer ring road connecting southern Vietnam to the north.

At 2km-long, the bridge will cross the Saigon River, connecting districts 7 and 2 in Ho Chi Minh City. The bridge will ease traffic problems and will link to national highway No.1.

Contractors

In 2005, an open bid joint contact to construct the bridge and approach structures was awarded to Germany's Bilfinger Berger and its Australian unit Baulderstone Hornibrooke for $104m. The project exceeded expectations and reached $150m. Phu My Bridge Corporation (PMC) is the client of the project. Construction work commenced in 2007 and was completed in 2009.

The contract to construct the main span of the bridge was awarded to Om Engineering.

Project

After Baulderstone and Bilfinger Berger's successful construction of the My Thuan Bridge, PMC approached them to bid for the Phu My Bridge project.

"Phu My Bridge is the first cable-stayed bridge to be constructed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam."

The bridge is 1,946m long with a 27.5m-wide main deck. The bridge has a vertical clearance of 45m. It has four lanes on each side: two car and truck lanes, one motorcycle lane and one for pedestrians.

The pylons of the main bridge are supported on 28 large bored piles about 75m long and 2.1m in diameter. These pylons area designed in H profile about 140m high. The weight of the road platform is transferred from the tensioned cables tied to the deck to the main towers and to the piled foundations.

PMC is a private consortium consisting of Hanoi Construction Company, Investco, Cienco 620, Thanh Danh Co, and CII. Once the bridge is operational, PMC, under a BOT licence, will collect tolls for 26 years.

Baulderstone managing director Rick Turchini said: "Baulderstone is extremely proud of the contribution we have been able to make to the infrastructure and economy of Vietnam, through our involvement with the construction of the Phu My Bridge."

Design

Engineering firm Arcadis designed the bridge and construction was done in partnership with Freyssinet International and Vietnamese company CC620. Cardno MBK, an infrastructure consultancy, designed the approaches of the bridge.

The main deck of the bridge is a reinforced concrete slab receiving support from longitudinal and transverse beams and suspended by stay cables from the pylons. Using formwork travellers, the deck is constructed in balanced cantilever fashion while the stay cable installations proceed along with the casting of the deck.

Financing

The project was financed by Societe Generale, combining various commercial and export credit loans. The export credit loans are from Germany, France and Australia. The terms include that half of the contract expenditure should be from these countries.

 

The 2km-long bridge will cross the Saigon River.

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Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam plans traffic control system

Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam plans traffic control system

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has prepared a plan to set up a $187m traffic control system and sought permission from the government for the project.

 

Ho Chi Minh City transport department director of the urban traffic management zone one Le Quyet Thang was quoted by Tuoi Tre as saying, if approved, the project will start in 2012 and is expected to be completed in 2017.

 

"We have prepared a detailed construction plan for the project, which costs about US$187 million, mostly from ODA loans from the French Government," Thang said.

 

Under the proposed project, the number of crossroads with traffic signals will increase from the current 590 to 1,500, plus two cameras will be installed at each crossroads to monitor the traffic. According to the department, it will also install electronic displays at the city's gateways and on major routes to record and inform the public of real-time traffic situations.

 

With an aim to efficiently manage traffic, the centre will be connected with the other traffic management systems, such as the traffic signal control centre, bus management system, an electronic system for toll collection and traffic safety control system. The proposed traffic centre will also be linked with the Saigon tunnel management centre, the HCMC-Trung Luong expressway and the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway.

 

Work on the project is planned to be implemented in six years, with the first two years dedicated for conducting surveys, designs and equipment installation on 400 crossroads. During the remaining four years work will be completed on 1,100 other crossroads. Work on the project will first be completed in inner districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10, then in all other districts of the city.

 

Upon completion of the installation, the centre will be able to provide exact statistics about the traffic flow and traffic situation in the city, providing better traffic arrangement and management.

 

Additionally, the centre will enable traffic managers to better adjust the operation of these systems, including extending or shortening the stop-time (red light) at each crossroads based on traffic at each area.

 

Using the system, traffic regulators can warn travellers about which streets are congested, helping commuters choose the suitable route. The new system will be integrated with cameras which will help catching traffic violators and ensure compliance to traffic rules.

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HCM City begins construction on Sai Gon Bridge No 2 in Vietnam

HCM City begins construction on Sai Gon Bridge No 2 in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh's (HCM) City Infrastructure Investment (CII) Joint Stock Company has started construction on the VND1.5 trillion ($71.5m) Sai Gon Bridge No 2 between HCM City's Districts 2 and Binh Thanh, Vietnam.

The 987.3m long and 23.5m wide four-lane bridge will be located near the existing Sai Gon Bridge No 1 and is expected to have a lifespan of 100 years, reported Vietnam News.

Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai noted one major difference between the two bridges - the former was built abroad (before being installed in Vietnam) while this one is 100% Vietnamese.

"The project shows the great efforts made by HCM City to mobilise capital from various [non-State] sectors into infrastructure development," Hai said.

Chairman of the City People's Committee Le Hoang Quan said Sai Gon Bridge No 2 is one of HCM City's major transport infrastructure projects in 2012, following on from ten major projects completed in 2011.

The new bridge is expected to ease traffic on Sai Gon Bridge No 1, which has been in operation for nearly five decades, as well as unclog the north-eastern entrance of the city. The design of the new bridge allows a maximum vehicle speed of 80km an hour and can withstand an earthquake of magnitude seven.

HCM City will take 21 months to construct the bridge.

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Vietnam - Laos Highway

Vietnam - Laos Highway

Highway 2E, connecting Vietnam and Laos, was inaugurated in the Phongsaly province of Laos in February 2013. The 68.2km highway connects Khoua district of the Phongsaly Province in Laos to Vietnam's Tay Trang border gate of the Dien Bien Northern Province.

 

The 2E highway is 6m wide and designed to carry automobiles with 9.2t of axle weight, and running a maximum speed of 30kmph. Construction was carried out by CIENCO 18 from Vietnam and companies based in Laos.

 

Vietnam and Laos have been initiating several measures to enhance their ties. The two countries are co-operating over several key projects involving both the regions. Vietnam has invested in several projects in Laos, Vietnam-Laos 2E highway being one of them.

 

The 2E highway project was categorised as a priority project in the Seventh Socio-Economic Development Plan of Laos for the 2011-2015 period, which is propelled by the primary objective of realising the sustained economic development of Laos. The plan also strives to help Laos elevate itself from its status as a least developed country by 2020.

Purpose of Highway 2E

The 2E highway is a vital road link for Laos, a country that is chiefly dependent on road transportation as it is without a railway network, as well as having limited air and water transport. It is estimated that approximately 90% of passengers and 60% of freight in Laos are transported by its road.

 

The railway network of Vietnam is also limited, with roadways being the primary means of movement for people and cargo.

 

Prior to construction of the highway, the 2E road was narrow and without bridges across some streams. Journeys by the road were tough especially during rainy season. The completion of the new highway has resolved the issue, making travel on 2E convenient all year round.

Vietnam-Laos highway project benefits

The newly-constructed highway will contribute to the economic development of Laos by providing convenient means of freight transportation to several regions. It will lead to growth in trade between the two countries by facilitating convenient transportation. It will also lead to growth in direct and indirect investments.

 

Additionally, there is expected to be growth in the number of tourists visiting Laos, as the 2E Highway provides improved accessibility to the country.

 

The highway is expected to enhance the infrastructure of the country, as well as improving connectivity and socio-economic relations between Laos and countries such as Myanmar and Thailand.

Contractors involved with Vietnam-Laos highway construction

The construction work of the 2E Highway, which includes eight bridges, started in March 2009.

 

The project was completed under two contracts valued at approximately $16.8m and $23.2m, respectively. The first contract was awarded to a consortium comprising of LTEC, TEDI-Vietnam, and Lao Cooperation Company. LTEC and TEDI-Vietnam provided supervision and consultancy services, while Lao Cooperation Company carried out construction on 30km of the highway.

 

CEI18-Vietnam (Road Company No. 18) secured the second contract, which was for constructing the remaining 38.2km stretch of the highway.

Funding for 2E highway

Vietnam and Laos signed a preferential credit agreement for the construction of the 2E Highway, in February 2009. The Government of Vietnam provided funds for the project by means of soft loans of 15 years, as per the agreement.

 

The 2E highway was the second Laotian project funded by the Government of Vietnam.

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ADB provides $410m to build new transport link in Vietnam

ADB provides $410m to build new transport link in Vietnam.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to provide a $410m loan to Vietnam for the construction of sections of a second arterial highway linking Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta and southern coastal regions.

 

The Central Mekong Delta Region Connectivity Project involves the construction of a section of the Second Southern Highway, consisting of two cable-stayed bridges with a combined length of 5km and 26km-long associated access and interconnecting stretches.
 

The road will run on the boundaries of the An Giang, Can Tho and Dong Thap provinces until the west of the Mekong Delta Region.
 

The two cable-stayed bridges and the interconnecting road are expected to reduce travel time between Ho Chi Minh City and Long Xuyen by one hour from 3.5 hours to 2.5 hours.
 

Travel times from the Cao Lanh ferry to the Vam Cong ferry will be reduced from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes, while the distance from Cao Lanh to Long Xuyen will be cut from 35.4km to 29km.
 

ADB Southeast Asia department Transport Specialist Rustam Ishenaliev said that Vietnam has a growing export-led economy, and the Mekong Delta is an important economic driver that produces over 60% of the country's agricultural and fishery output and is the third largest industrial centre.
 

"The road will run on the boundaries of the An Giang, Can Tho and Dong Thap provinces until the west of the Mekong Delta Region."
 

"This transport link will help open up Vietnam's western provinces in the Mekong River Delta and support its economic and industrial development," Ishenaliev added.
 

The project's design protects the infrastructure from the climate change impacts in the Mekong Delta such as frequent severe weather events, violent seasonal flooding and sea level rise.
 

The project will support more inclusive development, provide improved access to basic social and health services, increases national food security and facilitate private sector investment in the region.
 

Expected to begin operations by the end of 2017, the new highway will benefit 170,000 users daily, and will help in the creation of 400,000 new jobs.
 

Of the total cost of $860m, $410m is financed from ADB's Ordinary Capital Resources, while A$160m ($144m) is provided as grant financing from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) for the Cao Lanh bridge and interconnecting road.
 

The project will also receive parallel financing of $260m from the Export-Import Bank of Korea will be used to construct the Vam Cong Bridge and its associated road works, as well as $56m from the Government of Vietnam.

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