Vietnam has asked experts from South Korea to look into the cause of cracks discovered on the girder of an under-construction bridge in the Mekong Delta.

The Ministry of Transport stated on Friday it has sought help from South Korean experts to examine the error at the construction of Vam Cong Bridge, which connects Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City across the Hau River.

Developers and consultant units of the project discovered the cracks on a steel girder at the top of the abutment No.P29 on Tuesday.

The transport ministry then asked the Cuu Long Corporation for Investment, Development and Project Management of Infrastructure (Cuu Long CIPM), the developer of the bridge, to cease the construction to ensure safety for workers as well as the structure.

A team of officers from the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau, the Department of Science and Technology, and local pundits were also tasked with resolving the problem.

Results of an examination showed that there were no other cracks on the bridge except those found on abutment No.P29.

The Vietnamese experts asserted that structure of the bridge is still ensured.

A team of experts and officials inspect the situation on November 16, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat convened a meeting on Friday morning, following a personal inspection of the project on Thursday afternoon.

During the gathering, Deputy Minister Nhat stressed the necessity of a careful and comprehensive evaluation of the project to ensure the quality and longevity of the structure.

All statistics have been sent to South Korea. Experts from the East Asian country have also been asked to give a helping hand.

The Vam Cong Bridge project is carried out with the capital investment of US$271.58 million, allocated by the official development assistance (ODA) from the South Korean government and counterpart fund from Vietnam.

The structure is 2.97 kilometers long, 24.5 meters wide, including six lanes of vehicles.

The project is conducted by South Korean contractors, namely the Joint Venture of Dasan - Kunhwa – Pyunghwa, and the joint venture of GS Engineering & Construction Corp and Hanshin.   

Cuu Long CIPM, on behalf of Vietnam’s transport ministry, is the project developer.

The construction began in September 2013.

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