VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam Road Administration has instructed the contractor of the Thang Long Bridge to repair cracks on the road surface following several unsuccessful attempts.

The administration has asked the Road Management and Construction Department to supervise the repair work implemented by Bao Quan Investment and Construction JSC, the contractor, and speed up legal procedures to hand over the project on time.

Initial figures from the administration showed that the area of concrete cracks was approximately 1,800 sq.m and would cost between VND650 and 750 million (US$31,200-36,000).

The Bao Quan Investment and Construction JSC will pay all repair costs.

Work started last Tuesday and will take 10 days to complete, carried out at night between 10pm and 5am in order not to disrupt traffic.

Nguyen Minh Dung, head of the administration's Project Management Unit 9, said that the bridge was constantly hit by scorching heat during the day and heavy rain at night, which made the cracks larger and deeper despite regular checks and repairs.

"Repair work might be quicker if we have good weather," he said.

To make good all the potential cracks on the bridge, the administration is co-operating with relevant authorities to find partners to transfer technology and build a comprehensive project to solve the problem.

Currently, it is negotiating with a German company with experience in building concrete bridges to find a long-term solution.

The Thang Long Bridge was built with Russian assistance in 1985, crossing the Red River to connect Noi Bai Airport and central Ha Noi.

Authorities spent roughly VND100 billion ($4.8 million) on renewing the surface in 2009, but severe cracks have since reappeared on the bridge.

According to experts, the rainwater draining system does not work properly, leading to stagnant water ruining the bridge's surface.
Late last year, the Ministry of Transport listed the bridge as one of five key projects that needed monitoring.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News