Collapsed railway bridge to be repaired by mid-July

March 22, 2016 | 01:50 am PT
Constructing three new spans and a pier for the Ghenh Bridge was the quickest way to re-establish the vital north-south rail link, the Ministry of Transport has said. The bridge collapsed last Sunday after being struck by an 800-ton barge.

The Ministry of Transport on Monday considered several options for reconstructing the bridge in the southern province of Dong Nai, before deciding to go with the plan that would most quickly re-connect Ho Chi Minh City to the main national rail line.

collapsed-railway-bridge-to-be-repaired-by-mid-july

A 3D scanners is deployed to provide images of the collapsed sections of the bridge. Photo: VnExpress.

In a meeting with provincial authorities, Ministry of Transport officials said building three new spans and one new pier was the most efficient option, which could be completed in less than four months. An initial report from the ministry suggested it could take five months to complete the repairs.

The collapse of the bridge has already caused significant economic damage, especially to rail and waterway transportation in the province, said Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong.

The 220-meter-long bridge, built over 100 years ago during the French colonial period, collapsed after being struck by an 800-tonne barge carrying sand from the Mekong Delta. There were no reported casualties

 
 
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