Traffic congestion on Phong Thu bridge

Many heavy trucks travel through Phong Thu bridge. Photo: VL

Mr. Phan Tung - a resident living near Phong Thu bridge said that the traffic jam on Phong Thu bridge started from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. last night (December 23), making travel very difficult.

“Because at this time students are out of school and people are going home from work, the traffic is congested, even hundreds of meters long, especially when the train passes Nong Son station (about 300 meters from the bridge). It was not until around 8 p.m. that Dien Tho Commune Police came out to regulate the traffic,” said Mr. Tung.

Students of Hoang Dieu High School wait to cross the street when there is too much traffic. Photo: VL

Present at Phong Thu bridge this morning, December 24, Quang Nam Newspaper reporters recorded that traffic jams still occur continuously due to the heavy traffic flow. It is estimated that every hour there are about 100 cars and trucks crossing the bridge, including many container trucks and heavy trucks going up and down the highway and from Nam Giang border gate carrying ore.

[VIDEO] - Heavy traffic on Phong Thu bridge:

Mr. Phan Quan Nam, who lives near the bridge, said that there must be a police force to regulate traffic, otherwise it would be very dangerous because not only would it be jammed but it could also easily cause traffic accidents. "I saw yesterday that vehicles were running freely on the bridge, especially long container trucks. When one vehicle went up and met another vehicle coming down, there would be a traffic jam, so there must be a police force to regulate traffic, otherwise it would be very dangerous for road users, especially students when going to and from school" - Mr. Nam reflected.

Long lines of vehicles in front of Phong Thu bridge. Photo: VL

The entrance to Hoang Dieu High School is located on the side of Phong Thu Bridge. Every time students leave school, this place becomes a constant traffic jam.

In particular, the most worrying issue is the safety of the bridge in the face of heavy traffic. According to observations, Phong Thu bridge is currently in serious disrepair; the railings and beams have peeled off, exposing the steel, and every time a vehicle passes over the bridge, it shakes quite strongly.

Many heavy-duty container trucks passing by threaten the safety of the bridge. Photo: VL

Besides, due to the narrow bridge surface, the entrance to the bridge is hidden (Dai Loc direction goes down to Dien Ban), making it impossible for vehicles going up the bridge to observe vehicles coming down the bridge, posing many potential dangers to road users.

On December 23, Cau Lau Bridge officially closed to traffic for repairs. Vehicles traveling on National Highway 1 through Cau Lau Bridge must change direction to other routes, including DT609 from Dien Ban to Dai Loc, through Giao Thuy Bridge to Nam Phuoc, Duy Xuyen District and vice versa according to traffic regulations.

Residents living near the bridge have been feeling uneasy lately, not knowing how long the bridge can last.

“Normally, the bridge would collapse with just a few vehicles, but now that the traffic volume has increased to thousands of vehicles per day, I don’t know if the bridge can handle it. My house is nearby, and I can’t sleep at night. Every time a vehicle goes up the bridge, it shakes. The authorities should take timely preventive measures before it’s too late. I hope nothing unexpected happens,” a resident living near the bridge worried.

Authorities need to quickly find solutions to ensure safety for Phong Thu bridge. Photo: VL

Since the end of 2019, the Provincial People's Committee has approved the Phong Thu Bridge investment project for upgrading and expanding, with a total investment of 125 billion VND with a design length of 74m and width of 18.9m. According to the plan at that time, the project was scheduled to be implemented from 2022 to 2025. However, according to a representative of the Quang Nam Provincial Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board, the Phong Thu Bridge investment project could not be implemented due to a shortage of public investment capital compared to the plan. Therefore, the project may be constructed after 2025 after public investment capital is allocated.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/un-u-giao-thong-qua-cau-phong-thu-3146533.html