Business establishments affected

It was past 11am on April 3, but the Bay Lep grilled veal restaurant (Dien Phuong ward) was still quite deserted, in contrast to the scene where many people used to flock to the restaurant at this time. Ms. Do Thi Thai - the owner of the restaurant - was sitting with her staff peeling purple onions to kill time, occasionally looking up at the street to wait for customers.

Ms. Thai said that since the old Cau Lau bridge banned cars from passing through, the number of customers has dropped dramatically. “Previously, the shop mainly sold to passersby and tourists, but since the province banned cars from passing through the old Cau Lau bridge, cars no longer use this road. Now, they only sell to locals, but the number is not significant,” Ms. Thai said.

The area of ​​the old Cau Lau bridge, especially the Dien Phuong side, has been famous for its specialty grilled veal from Mong bridge for many years. However, a survey showed that when traffic through the old Cau Lau bridge was banned, most grilled veal restaurants had their revenue affected.

According to the owner of the grilled beef restaurant Muoi, since the ban on cars crossing the bridge, the number of customers coming to the restaurant has dropped by about 80%, mainly because tourist buses do not take customers because they are afraid to turn around. "Now we have to hold on for as long as we can, waiting for the government to repair the bridge and let cars pass again, but there is no other way," the owner of the grilled beef restaurant Muoi sadly said.

Located near the old Cau Lau, Muoi grilled veal restaurant and Bay Lep grilled veal restaurant are quite famous “brands” in the Mong bridge area, even in the whole country. The good reputation spreads far and wide, so many diners have stopped by to enjoy this specialty when they have the opportunity to visit Quang Nam or pass by.

The ban on cars passing through the old Cau Lau bridge not only affects the grilled beef restaurants but also affects the business activities of many other production facilities. Mr. Duong Ngoc Thang - Director of Phuoc Kieu Casting Village Company Limited (Dien Phuong, Dien Ban) revealed that since the end of last year until now, the company's revenue has decreased by more than 50%, the goods produced are selling very slowly, especially the handicrafts for tourism souvenirs. Currently, more than 30% of craftsmen have to temporarily stop working.

Strive to complete the bridge repair in 2024

The old Cau Lau Bridge is a road bridge across the Thu Bon River on Highway 1, 841m long, built between 1965 and 1970. The current state of the upper and lower parts of the bridge is seriously degraded.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Thanh - Deputy Director of the Department of Transport informed that the Provincial People's Committee had a policy to repair the old Cau Lau bridge, but due to some regulations of the Bidding Law, the construction was slow, but now everything has basically gone smoothly.

"On April 4, the project will be submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval, with efforts to start construction in May 2024 and complete in 2024," said Mr. Thanh.

The old Cau Lau Bridge crosses the Thu Bon River on Highway 1, connecting Dien Ban Town and Duy Xuyen District, home to many historical sites and unique craft villages. The repair of the old Cau Lau Bridge not only facilitates smooth transportation but also helps develop service, trade and tourism activities.

[VIDEO] - Need to quickly repair the old Cau Lau bridge:

According to Mr. Tran Uc - Chairman of Dien Ban Town People's Committee, with its location on the heritage road connecting Hoi An ancient town and My Son temple complex, in the long term, the province can study the construction of Cau Lau bridge as both a project serving people's traffic and tourism development.

“The province should study and build the old Cau Lau bridge into a tourist destination like the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, for example. To do that, we need to organize a competition for architectural designs for the bridge, as we did in March with the bridges across the Co Co River.

The Department of Transport can organize a competition or authorize Dien Ban, with just a few hundred million VND we will have a very beautiful architectural idea for the old Cau Lau bridge. Of course, this is just my personal idea" - Mr. Uc suggested.

At the same time, it is hoped that in the immediate future, relevant departments of the province need to quickly repair and put the old Cau Lau bridge into circulation, promoting business services in the area near the old Cau Lau bridge to soon return to normal operations.