More than 40 percent of all suspension bridges across the country arein need of urgent repairs, according to the Ministry of Transport.
KhuatMinh Tuan, head of the ministry's Infrastructure Department said thefigure came from an initial evaluation by local transport authoritiesacross 56 cities and provinces.
Authorities are due to conduct technical tests on the bridges in an effort to clarify the exact number in need of repairs.
Figuresfrom the ministry indicate there are about 1,950 suspension bridges inVietnam. About 810 operational bridges - roughly 40 percent - have shownsigns of erosion and rust. Up to 94 percent of them are located onroads connecting villages and communes.
Currently, seven cities and provinces are yet to report on the number of bridges in need of upgrades.
Tuansaid management and maintenance efforts of suspension bridges insuburban areas, particularly in remote areas, remained weak due to ashortage of finance and professional knowledge.
He said theVietnam Road Administration had proposed to build 1,190 suspensionbridges in 28 cities and provinces. The ministry has also approved aplan to build 186 bridges with a capital investment fund of 1.7 trillionVND (79.9 million USD).
The ministry would allow transportauthorities to use part of the State budget allocated to each localityto build bridges in areas facing a high risk of accidents or with heavytraffic.
To prevent fatal accidents, the ministry has requiredlocal authorities to repair old bridges and close degrading bridgeswithout specifications on weight capacity, height and lengthrestrictions. Last month, the deadly collapse of the Chu Va 6 suspensionbridge in Son Binh commune of Tam Duong district, northwestern Lai Chauprovince, killed eight and injured 38 others.-VNA
KhuatMinh Tuan, head of the ministry's Infrastructure Department said thefigure came from an initial evaluation by local transport authoritiesacross 56 cities and provinces.
Authorities are due to conduct technical tests on the bridges in an effort to clarify the exact number in need of repairs.
Figuresfrom the ministry indicate there are about 1,950 suspension bridges inVietnam. About 810 operational bridges - roughly 40 percent - have shownsigns of erosion and rust. Up to 94 percent of them are located onroads connecting villages and communes.
Currently, seven cities and provinces are yet to report on the number of bridges in need of upgrades.
Tuansaid management and maintenance efforts of suspension bridges insuburban areas, particularly in remote areas, remained weak due to ashortage of finance and professional knowledge.
He said theVietnam Road Administration had proposed to build 1,190 suspensionbridges in 28 cities and provinces. The ministry has also approved aplan to build 186 bridges with a capital investment fund of 1.7 trillionVND (79.9 million USD).
The ministry would allow transportauthorities to use part of the State budget allocated to each localityto build bridges in areas facing a high risk of accidents or with heavytraffic.
To prevent fatal accidents, the ministry has requiredlocal authorities to repair old bridges and close degrading bridgeswithout specifications on weight capacity, height and lengthrestrictions. Last month, the deadly collapse of the Chu Va 6 suspensionbridge in Son Binh commune of Tam Duong district, northwestern Lai Chauprovince, killed eight and injured 38 others.-VNA
