An 11-year-old toll bridge in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap collapsed on Friday afternoon, three months after its collection term ended.

Tan Nghia Bridge, situated in the namesake commune in Cao Lanh District, gave way at around 2:00 pm, the commune’s administration confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the same day.

A truck carrying herbal medicines and a motor cart, collectively carrying at least four people, were traveling on the structure at the time of the incident.

As observed by a Tuoi Tre reporter at the scene, the bridge had its middle span broken. This part of the bridge, as well as the truck, fell onto a boat that was cruising under the structure.

However, no one was hurt in the collapse, the district's administration stated.

Stretching 150 meters over the Thap Muoi Canal, the Tan Nghia Bridge is designed to sustain a maximum weight of eight metric tons.

People travels on a boat across the canal as the collapsed bridge is seen in the background. Photo: Ngoc Tai

The bridge, costing VND5 billion (US$215,000) to build, was open to traffic in December 2007.

Its construction was carried out under a BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract.

BOT is a project-financing framework in which the developer receives a concession from the public sector to finance, design, construct, and operate a facility for a certain period, during which it has to raise the finances for, and is entitled to retain all revenues generated by, the project. The facility is then transferred to the public administration at the end of the concession agreement.

A tollgate had been operated along with the bridge for over 11 years, before local authorities decided to buy the station from the developer in February, which put an end to the toll collection.

Tan Nghia Bridge gives way in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on May 31, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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