Bustling Scene at New Phong Chau Bridge Construction Site

For many months, the atmosphere at the Phong Chau Bridge construction site has been marked by urgency and intensity, with round-the-clock operations across three shifts and four work crews, undeterred by day or night, holidays, or adverse weather.

With the motto “Glory only comes to those who meet deadlines”and the spirit of “overcoming sun and rain, undaunted by storms,” contractor Truong Son, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport and Thang Long Project Management Board, has launched a 30-day high-intensity emulation campaign titled “Accelerate to the Finish” (from August 2 to September 2, 2025). The goal is to complete the main span connection by August 28 (previously scheduled for November 5), in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the nation (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025), and complete the entire project by early October 2025, as directed by the Prime Minister.

Phong Chau Bridge prepares for main span connection

According to Mr. Luong Van Long, Head of the Executive Board and Project Director of the Phong Chau Bridge Project, due to its urgent nature, the project was classified as an emergency construction mandate. It is being implemented by the Thang Long Project Management Board (under the Ministry of Transport), with construction carried out by Corps 12 (Truong Son Construction Corporation).

Under directives from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Transport, the project must be completed by December 22, 2025. Upon receiving the assignment, the Thang Long PMB quickly approved the project plan, began design work, and selected consultants and contractors. During the design survey phase, teams carefully considered the narrow flow and changing currents of the Red River, factoring in riverbed erosion when finalizing the structural design.

Construction remains on schedule across all project components

During the Prime Minister’s visit to the site on August 9 to inspect progress and encourage the construction team, leaders from Truong Son Construction Corporation reported that as of

mid-August 2025, only five out of 60 cantilever segments remain unfinished. At the current pace, the main span connection is expected to take place on August 28, 2025. Following this milestone, the contractor will proceed with remaining tasks: finalizing technical elements, ensuring the quality of the cantilever segments, laying asphalt pavement, installing expansion joints, railings, lighting systems, road markings, and more. The entire project is expected to be completed and put into operation by early October. This represents a timeline reduction of approximately three months compared to the original plan, which set the completion date for December 22, 2025. In addition to progress and quality, aesthetic considerations have also been prioritized by the investor, contractor, and supervising consultants to ensure the bridge becomes an architectural highlight in the province’s transport infrastructure landscape.

According to the design, the new Phong Chau Bridge spans 653 meters in length and 20.5 meters in width, featuring four lanes for motor vehicles. Built as a permanent structure, the bridge has a total investment of over VND 635 billion from the central government’s contingency budget. The structure employs reinforced and prestressed concrete girders, with the main span comprising three continuous girders (70+120+70 meters), constructed using the balanced cantilever method. Abutments and piers are made of reinforced concrete with bored pile foundations. The approach bridge on the Phung Nguyen side includes three girder spans (33 meters total), followed by two reinforced concrete slab spans configured as (6+10) meters. The connecting road at both ends follows Class III delta road standards, with a design speed of 80 km/h.

Dinh Vu