On the afternoon of September 20, a representative of the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration said that today, the engineering force is constructing a road leading from both sides of the bridge down to Phong Chau pontoon bridge.
Previously, on September 19, the military launched a number of buoys. The installation location of the pontoon bridge is about 400m downstream of the collapsed Phong Chau bridge on the Red River (left bank belongs to Phung Nguyen commune, Lam Thao district; right bank belongs to Huong Non commune, Tam Nong district).
According to the leaders of Tam Nong district, the forces are reinforcing the ferry terminals so that when safety is ensured, they will complete the construction and open the bridge for people to travel. If conditions are favorable, the installation can be completed in the next 2-3 days.
With the task of management, Inland Waterways Sub-Department Region 1 proposed a plan to operate Phong Chau pontoon bridge after completing installation, ensuring safety.
A representative of the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration said that in order to quickly operate the pontoon bridge safely after installation, the Inland Waterways Sub-Department Region 1 has coordinated with the pontoon bridge operator to agree on a plan to ensure inland waterway traffic safety in the area.
Accordingly, the volume of watercraft circulating in the area of the pontoon bridge is not large. Statistics at the Co Tiet inland waterway management station show that in 2023, there will be about 120 vehicles/month. Vehicles have a tonnage of 100 - 300 tons, mainly transporting construction materials, sand, gravel, wood chips and fishing.
Therefore, to ensure the safest and most convenient traffic, the department proposes the following plan: Close and open the pontoon bridge once a day, from 9am to 10am every day; the number of times of closing and opening will be flexible depending on the traffic needs to pass through the area.
After agreeing with the pontoon bridge operator on the time to close and open the pontoon bridge, the department will issue a notice of traffic restrictions and notice of the time to close and open the pontoon bridge to the media, the Department of Transport, local authorities, etc.; inform the captains and vehicle operators to proactively manage the time to travel through the area to ensure safety and efficiency.
The Department also requested the competent authority to arrange 2 control stations in the upstream and downstream areas of Phong Chau pontoon bridge; arrange means and human resources according to regulations on control, anti-collision and restriction of inland waterway traffic to regulate and ensure safety of waterway traffic in the area.
According to the report of the Department of Transport of Phu Tho province, the Phong Chau bridge collapse pulled down the T7 pillar and collapsed the two main spans of the bridge (spans 6 and 7) at 10:02 on September 9.
At the time of the bridge collapse, there were 8 vehicles involved: 1 truck, 1 car, 5 motorbikes, 1 electric bicycle. As of September 20, 3 victims were rescued, 2 dead people were found. Thus, 6 victims have not been found yet.
On the morning of September 20, when the water level of the Red River had dropped and the flow was at a safe level, authorities salvaged the bridge, vehicles, and organized a search for the missing victims.
At the collapsed Phong Chau bridge with the truck trapped inside, the authorities surveyed, used concrete breakers and gas welders to cut each steel truss of the bridge, and proceeded to salvage it.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/lap-cau-phao-tam-thay-the-cau-phong-chau-tau-thuyen-di-lai-ra-sao-2324223.html
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