The 166 billion bridge was completed more than a year ago but there is still no road to go on.

People wait for roads, contractors wait for land

In mid-August, Giao Thong Newspaper reporters were present at the Thanh Nam bridge construction site (Con Cuong district, Nghe An province).

Because there is no construction site for the road at the bridgehead, vehicles still cannot pass through Thanh Nam bridge.

According to records, the Thanh Nam bridge section and the road section at the beginning of the bridge on the Thanh Nam bank (intersection with DT.541) with a length of about 1.5km were completed last year.

Meanwhile, the road at the beginning of the bridge in Con Cuong town (intersection with National Highway 7A) is 180m long. For a long time, there have been 3 households subject to relocation and 38 business kiosks of the town market that have not yet handed over the land. Therefore, although the bridge has been completed, vehicles cannot pass through it.

An official of Delta Company (the project construction unit) said: Recently, the district completed the procedures to hand over the land to the 3 households mentioned above. Immediately, the unit mobilized vehicles and machinery to start the construction immediately.

This person said that it is expected that within one month, the unit will complete the construction of the bridgehead section passing through 3 households, and build embankments and retaining walls across this section.

After 3 houses were liberated, the contractor immediately started construction.

"Thanh Nam Bridge has been under construction for more than a year now, but the road at the beginning of the bridge in town is still congested, there is no land, which has a significant impact on the people. We hope that the locality will soon hand over the project so that the unit can complete it. If there is land, we will complete the remaining section within 3 months," said a company official.

While the contractor is waiting for the site, local people are also looking forward to the project being completed and put into use soon.

Mr. Le Cao Hong (60 years old, Thanh Nam village, Bong Khe commune) said that his family has 1 hectare of forest and 4 sao of land for growing crops. When harvest time comes, it is difficult to sell acacia and other agricultural products because large trucks cannot enter.

Nearby is Thanh Nam suspension bridge but the bridge has a load limit of 8 tons. The only way for heavy trucks to enter is to go around the village road, down to Thach Ngan commune (adjacent to Anh Son district), dozens of kilometers away.

“Not to mention heavy trucks coming and going, my house is on the other side of the bridge. If the road was clear, I could walk a few steps to the market. But now the road is not clear, to go to the market I have to go around Thanh Nam suspension bridge, which is 4km longer. Therefore, people are looking forward to the project being completed and put into use soon,” said Mr. Hong.

The nearest Thanh Nam suspension bridge has a load limit of 8 tons, so heavy vehicles wanting to pass can only go around.

The site will be handed over in a month.

Not only the people, but also the kiosk owners whose land is cleared for the project hope that the district will soon have a solution so that small traders can feel secure in doing business.

"My family rents 2 kiosks in the market for 3 million VND/month. Last year, when we heard that our kiosks had to be relocated to make way for road construction, to avoid business interruption, my family rented a nearby store for 2.5 million VND/month.

However, since last year, there has been no sign of relocation. Recently, the district said they would relocate in June, but now it is almost the end of August and there is still no sign of it. Business is already difficult, and having to pay rent for two stores at the same time makes it even more difficult," shop owner Thanh Phuc lamented.

A kiosk owner right next door also shared: "Sooner or later we will have to leave. I just hope the district will arrange a suitable place for business so that we, the people, have a place to do business. Without fields, the whole family depends on the market shop to make ends meet."

Con Cuong district said that in 1 month it will hand over the site to the construction contractor.

Mr. Pham Trong Binh - Vice Chairman of Con Cuong District People's Committee said: Regarding regulations, after clearing 38 kiosks to build the road at the head of Thanh Nam bridge, the town market is no longer a true market because there is not enough area to allow operations.

So, in principle, a new market must be established, the district has a plan. However, the important thing is to have investors or build it in the form of socialization.

"Most of the small traders do not have fields or gardens, nor do they have other jobs, and mainly depend on the market for their living. They all agreed to give up their land for the project but asked the district for additional support during the time they stopped doing business. But the district did not have money and there were no regulations for this support," said Mr. Binh.

Therefore, the proposed solution is for the district to build an additional row of kiosks north of the current market so that traders can move to a new location. "Currently, the district is waiting for the provincial police to approve the fire prevention and fighting plan. If approved, the district will hand over the site to the contractor in a month," said the district vice chairman.

The Thanh Nam Bridge construction project across the Lam River in Con Cuong District connects the town with the left bank of the Lam River, with a total investment of nearly 166 billion VND (of which 126 billion is for construction and installation). The project is designed as a permanent bridge with prestressed reinforced concrete structure, the bridge length is 412m, the roads at both ends of the bridge have a total length of 1.78km.

In particular, the bridgehead road on the town side (intersection with National Highway 7A, unconnected section) is about 180m long, designed according to the standards of a grade III mountain road, with a 9m wide roadbed and 6m wide road surface.

The road at the bridgehead on the Thanh Nam bank (intersection with DT.541) is about 1.6km long, is a grade IV mountainous road, the roadbed is 7.5m wide, the road surface is 5.5m wide.

The project is represented by the Con Cuong District Construction Investment Project Management Board.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/cau-166-ty-xay-xong-hon-1-nam-nhung-van-chua-co-duong-de-di-192240820140932713.htm