Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

By Quynh Tran   July 15, 2022 | 05:00 am PT
Repair work on Phu My Bridge linking Thu Duc City and District 7 has caused up to 2-hour-long gridlocks.
Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

For almost two weeks, a lane on Phu My Bridge running from District 7 to Thu Duc City, both home to large expat communities, has been blocked to fix an expansion joint, causing serious gridlock.

A team of almost 20 people, including traffic police and militiamen, have been forced to manage the situation around the clock.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

Two expansion joints, which serve to prevent cracks in the concrete surface of the bridge when temperatures change, were damaged two years ago. The repair work, which started earlier this month, is expected to last for three months at a total cost exceeding VND21 billion ($900,700).

From now until Aug. 2, repairs will be carried out on the leftmost lane. A month later, the construction unit will move to the middle lanes before completing work on the rightmost.

The construction lane is barricaded, causing serious traffic congestion.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

On Thursday afternoon, cars and container trucks formed a tailback of almost two kilometers along Nguyen Van Linh and Huynh Tan Phat streets, which lead to the bridge from District 7.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

The situation is most serious on Huynh Tan Phat Street.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

Vu, 20, a construction worker, helps regulate traffic at the foot of the bridge, as assigned by the contractor.

Vu is among five staff tasked with 24/7 regulation work.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

A truck driver leans out to observe the situation on Huynh Tan Phat Street.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

"It takes almost two hours to travel two kilometers," Chien, 39, said as he surfed the internet on his smartphone.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

Some motorbike drivers try to escape the heavy traffic by using the breakdown lane, which is less than one meter wide.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

A man helps a couple to move onto the sidewalk.

Repairs fuel traffic congestion on major HCMC bridge

Crossing the Saigon River, Phu My Bridge stretches more than two kilometers long and is the city’s largest cable-stayed bridge.

Costing VND2.1 trillion ($90 million), the bridge was put into use in 2009 after four years of construction.

The project belongs to the city's Ring Road No.2, the only traffic axis connecting District 7 with Thu Duc City and one of two routes in and out of Cat Lai, the largest seaport in the country.

 
 
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