Hole disrupts traffic on iconic Long Bien bridge
A hole 60 centimeters wide and 100 centimeters long appeared on the surface of Hanoi's Long Bien Bridge, a legacy of French colonial times, on Saturday.
Long Bien, the city's oldest bridge over Red River, links the downtown district of Hoan Kiem to Long Bien district.
The hole that showed the river below could put passers-by at risk.
A hole appears on the Long Bien Bridge deck on May 28, 2022. Photo courtesy of Ha Hai Railway JSC.
Ha Hai Railway JSC, which manages and maintains Long Bien Bridge, stated that the 120-year-old bridge is deteriorating, with rusty steel structures and broken woven sheets. "Moreover, it has continuously rained in Hanoi over the past days, causing damage to the road surface," the firm added.
A new concrete sheet was installed to fill up the hole. Repairs caused traffic jams of about 30 minutes.
A concrete sheet was installed to fill up the hole. Photo courtesy of Ha Hai Railway JSC.
Construction on Long Bien Bridge started in 1898. The bridge was designed by France’s Dayde-Pillie Company and inaugurated in 1902, the French colonial period. It is 1,691 meters long, with a railway in the middle and roads on both sides.
In early May, a similar hole had appeared along the bridge.
Long Bien is an iconic bridge in Hanoi, dating back to French colonial times. Photo courtesy of People's Army newspaper.
Currently, Long Bien Bridge is used for railway, motorbike and rudimentary transportation.
Government spending has to date failed to ensure maintenance and renovation of the old bridge.
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