VietNamNet Bridge – The HCMC government has said it will employ an independent consultant to check and assess the stability, durability and life span of Saigon River Tunnel.

Saigon River Tunnel was opened to traffic in November 2011

The city government office said city leaders had approved a proposal by the Urban - Civil Works Construction Investment Management Authority of HCMC to hire a consulting firm to do the assessment work.

Results of the assessment will be a crucial foundation for the State Appraisal and Acceptance Council to complete its report on the project and for the city to deal with quality and technical issues with contractors. The parties held responsible for relevant problems will have to pay fees for the consulting firm.

The tunnel, which connects districts 1 and 2, was opened to traffic nearly three years ago but the council has not completed appraisal of the structure, and there are concerns over the quality and safety of the tunnel.

A number of water leakages and fixings were discovered in the central section of the tunnel in early August 2012. The investor then explained that the leakages were minor and approved by the council for fixing.

In December 2012, there were fixings on the lanes for motorcycles and cars.

The investor attributed the cracks to the concrete contraction on the surface and insisted that this did not affect the durability of the tunnel.

In April last year, water spots were detected in the tunnel. However, the investor said this resulted from the temporary malfunction of the water drainage system and that the tunnel’s safety was still assured.

The tunnel’s expected lifespan is 100 years.

The whole tunnel is 1.5 kilometers long with the main 370-meter-long section comprising four segments immersed under the Saigon River. Each 33-meter-long, 9-meter-high segment weighs 27,000 tons. The tunnel has six lanes and allows a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour.

SGT/VNN