The Thi Nghe Bridge, damaged by an 800-tonne barge on Tuesday, would need at least two months of repairs, transportation officials said after an inspection yesterday.

The Thi Nghe Bridge, damaged by an 800-tonne barge on Tuesday, would need at least two months of repairs. (Photo: SGGP)

They found one of the middle spans had been badly damaged, but this would not affect the bridge’s structure.

The span would be replaced with a new one in about two months. During the repair, the Urban Traffic Management Zone No1 would allow traffic as usual on the bridge.

The transport department has approved the suggestion that passenger buses and trucks weighing under 20 tonnes are allowed to use the bridge which was closed immediately after the accident.

The drifting barge that crashed into the bridge was being used to carry concrete beams to build 16km of embankments under the Environmental Hygiene Project along Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal. The project is being implemented by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

Degraded listing

The 105-metre bridge spanning the Thi Nghe Canal connects districts 1 and Binh Thanh. Built before 1975, it was recently listed among many degraded bridges with low navigation clearance in HCM City.

Many boats and sand barges pass under the bridge everyday.

Nguyen Thanh Hien, a resident living near the Binh Loi Bridge over Sai Gon River of Binh Thanh District, said that despite rising waters at noon, many barges carrying construction materials hurried through the bridge because they would not be able to do so in the afternoon during high tide.

According to the transport department, there are around 40 degraded bridges in danger of collapsing at anytime. Most of these bridges have low navigation clearance inadequate to meet water traffic in the city.

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Man of HCM City Police’s Water Traffic Division said there were hundreds of boats anchored at the Sai Gon River waiting for lower water levels to pass the Binh Loi Bridge.

The Kinh Thanh Da Bridge in Binh Thanh District, Xay Dung Bridge in District 2, the Dong Tron Bridge in District 9 and several others have low navigation clearance but many boat and barges passing through them every day.

Last year, five boats and barges hit the Kinh Thanh Da Bridge. There was no serious damage, Man said, suggesting relevant authorities pay more attention to this issue.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News