At 7:30 am on December 5, after 11 months of construction in the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic, the last concrete batches were poured down for Van Tien bridge closure joint – the longest bridge in Quang Ninh Province so far, connecting 2 districts of Van Don and Tien Yen. Comrade Cao Tuong Huy, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, attended and issued an order for Van Tien bridge closure joint.
Comrade Cao Tuong Huy, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, together with representatives of the investor and contractor, poured the last batch of concrete for Van Tien Bridge closure joint.
Van Tien Bridge is the largest bridge out of 32 bridges on the entire Van Don – Mong Cai expressway, and at the same time the longest bridge in Quang Ninh Province up to this point. The bridge is designed with a permanent structure of reinforced concrete 1,515m long, including 3 cantilever spans with an aperture of (55+90+55)m and 32 super T-beam spans; bridge deck width of 25.25m; expressway standards with 4 lanes for automobiles and 2 lanes for emergency stops to ensure a maximum speed of 120km/h. The construction started in early 2021 amid the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During its implementation process, the construction was assessed by experts as having high difficulty due to the complex topographical and geological conditions in the area, fast tidal currents with a difference of 3-5m, rock layer at the bottom and the water depth of over 17m (equivalent to the one of Bai Chay Bridge). Therefore, locating the bored drill and anchoring the floating system to serve the construction took a long time. Besides, it was really difficult to mobilize additional human resources to the construction site due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic and outbreaks in many areas; increased raw material costs, especially domestic construction steel prices increased by 50% compared to the time of project implementation; extreme weather, abundant rain, etc. affecting the organization of the overall construction of the project.
Van Tien Bridge is 1,515m long, the largest bridge out of 32 bridges on the entire Van Don – Mong Cai expressway, as well as the longest bridge in Quang Ninh Province up to this point.
However, in order to ensure that the project is completed synchronously with the expressway in 2021, Quang Ninh Province has been very active in directing and operating, creating the most favorable conditions for contractors, and closely directing for solutions to overcome difficulties for the most effective construction on the basis of maximum application of advanced technology in bridge construction today.
Specifically, the province consulted with leading experts in the industry to agree on a suitable construction solution; conducted a thorough survey of each drill bit location, carried out priming drills, conducted geological experiments at the construction site, and chose the right tide time to thoroughly and carefully construct each pile location. At the same time, it adjusted the progress chart for each work item, overtime work, and equipment supplementation; and changed the state of construction site to self-contained status for the prevention of disease sources from outside to ensure continuous operation.
Comrade Cao Tuong Huy, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, gave gifts to encourage the officials and workers on the construction site.
On the construction site, nearly 300 officials and workers are regularly maintained, and the construction organization is continuously organized in 3 shifts; the number of vehicles, equipment and human resources arranged is doubled compared to the construction organization plan according to the bid. In which, there are quite a few workers who have stayed at the construction site since the first day, offering construction services throughout the Lunar New Year; they have not visited home once so far.
In April 2021, the bridge bored piles were basically completed to move to the construction phase of abutment pedestals, piers and bridge body. Up to now, the bridge work has been completed to move to the completion phase for items such as lighting, plastic carpet installation on the bridge deck, traffic safety system, landscape and so forth.
Upon completion, Van Tien Bridge will play an important part in development, innovation and maturity of construction technology of Quang Ninh road and bridge in particular and Vietnam in general. Although Van Tien Bridge is the longest bridge in Quang Ninh Province, it was built in less than a year (bridges of this type usually takes about 3 years to complete). This affirms the mastery of technology, the efforts to overcome difficulties of the employer, the contractor and the determination to synchronously complete the expressway along Quang Ninh Province in the context of difficulties caused by the pandemic, contributing to the province’s growth in 2021.
After the completion of the bridge closure joint, the construction will move to the phase of completing items such as lighting, plastic carpet on the bridge deck, traffic safety system, landscape and so on.
Van Tien Bridge and Van Don – Mong Cai expressway’s completion will shorten the travel time from Hanoi to Mong Cai to about 3 hours; make connection with key economic zones, facilitate road traffic from the direction of Lang Son to Mong Cai, Van Don and Ha Long and promote Van Don Airport; connect the trade gateway of Vietnam, ASEAN with China; create a driving force for economic and social development, connect key economic zones and attract domestic and foreign investors for research and investment in localities where the expressway passes.
By Do Phuong
