Current status of Phong Chau bridge.

The People's Committee of Phu Tho province has just sent a document to the Prime Minister requesting the Central Government to support emergency treatment projects to overcome the effects of storm No. 3.

Accordingly, to create conditions to help the locality urgently overcome and ensure smooth traffic on National Highway 32C, meet the requirements of flood prevention, protect the safety of people's lives and property and national infrastructure works, including the Yen Vien - Lao Cai railway, the People's Committee of Phu Tho province proposed that the Prime Minister assign Phu Tho province to carry out investment procedures for the two projects.

Firstly, build a new bridge to replace the old Phong Chau bridge with a modern scale, synchronous with the scale of National Highway 32C with a length of 430 m, width of 21.5 m; total investment of 865 billion VND (100% supported by the central budget).

Second, reinforce and upgrade the weak dike and embankment sections and flood-prevention wall system on the left and right dikes of Thao River (combining National Highway 2D and National Highway 32C) with an estimated scale of 18 km (National Highway 2D section is 12 km, National Highway 32C section is 6 km); total investment of 250 billion VND (100% supported by the central budget).

Previously, due to the impact of storm No. 3, widespread floods in the northern mountainous provinces, in addition, upstream hydroelectric reservoirs (Tuyen Quang Lake, Hoa Binh Lake, Thac Ba Lake) released water simultaneously, causing the water level of the Red River (section through Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province) to be higher than alert level 3, exceeding the flood peak in 1971 by 1.4 m.

Flood water rose rapidly and overflowed the dike, causing inundation in the northern communes of Ha Hoa district and Ha Hoa town, seriously affecting traffic on National Highway 32C (belonging to Thao right dike, 22 km long) and National Highway 2D (belonging to Thao left dike, 32 km long).

In particular, on September 9, 2024, Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C), in Tam Nong district, Phu Tho province, collapsed when floods swept away the pillars and 2 main spans (spans 6 and 7 on the right bank of Thao river).

On September 11, the Vietnam Road Administration also proposed the Ministry of Transport to consider and assign the Vietnam Road Administration the task of preparing a report proposing the investment policy for the new Phong Chau bridge on National Highway 32C, Phu Tho province using state budget capital; implementation period 2024 - 2025.