Hire divers to inspect the foundation of Ben Thuy 1 bridge and Linh Cam bridge

Ben Thuy 1 Bridge crosses the Lam River, connecting Nghe An and Ha Tinh. Linh Cam Bridge is located on National Highway 8A, crossing the Ngan Sau River, connecting Duc Tho and Huong Son districts (Ha Tinh).

Ben Thuy 1 Bridge was put into use on May 19, 1990 and Linh Cam Bridge was put into use in December 1992. Both bridges underwent many repairs and upgrades at different times.

After the collapse of Phong Chau Bridge, Phu Tho (put into operation since 1995), many people are more interested in the two bridges mentioned above.

Ben Thuy Bridge 1.jpg — Ben Thuy 1 Bridge crosses Lam River, 630.5m long, 12m wide with 13 spans, put into operation since 1990. Photo: Provided by Highway 2

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Ngoc - Deputy Head of Road Maintenance Management Department, Road Management Area 2 (QLDB) said that, implementing the direction of the Vietnam Road Administration, QLDB Area 2 has organized periodic inspections before and after each rainy and stormy season every year. This activity aims to assess the current state of operation of bridges on national highways, develop traffic organization plans and plan repairs when necessary.

Ben Thuy 1 Bridge and Linh Cam Bridge are both Bulgarian steel truss structures, with the mid-river piers built on pile foundations. Through periodic inspections before the 2024 storm season, using both machinery and visual inspection, the bridges are still considered safe for people and vehicles to pass through, based on current signaling at both ends of the bridge.

The Highway Authority also hired divers to go down to the riverbed to inspect and measure the bridge piers. This inspection included assessing the riverbed erosion around the piers, checking the entire structure, the pier base, the pile connection to the pier base, as well as the settlement, tilting and other load-bearing structures.

Officers of Road Management Area II and divers inspect the pillars of two bridges at the bottom of the river. Photo: Provided by Road Management Area 2

“Through visual inspection, the bridge piers and piers have not shown any major or unusual damage that could affect the bridge’s load-bearing capacity. However, Linh Cam Bridge has local erosion at pier 3. Ben Thuy Bridge has slight erosion at pier T6, T7 and T8,” Mr. Ngoc informed.

According to the QLDB 2 Area, in the long term, both Ben Thuy and Linh Cam bridges will use reinforcement measures to extend their usage time.