The Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has attributed the riverbed erosion beneath a bridge connecting Hanoi with northern Phu Tho Province over the Da River and the riverbed degradation in the Red River-Thai Binh River system to sand mining.

“The bottom erosion under the Trung Ha Bridge and the riverbed degradation in the Red River-Thai Binh river system is attributable to sand exploitation,” the Department of Irrigation stated in a document to the Department of Transport of Phu Tho Province.

In the document, the irrigation department declined the proposal to intensify water extraction from Hoa Binh hydroelectric lake in Hoa Binh Province to strengthen the safety of the bridge made by the latter.

The Trung Ha Bridge, spanning the Da River along National Highway 32, is a crucial link connecting Hanoi with Phu Tho and the northwestern midland and mountainous provinces. 

The 743-meter-long project, constructed in 1999, commenced operations in 2002.

Riverbed erosion, which is particularly affecting pillars T11 and T12 of the bridge, diminishing their bearing capacity and posing potential threats to bridge safety, has necessitated a repair, according to the Phu Tho Department of Transport.

Damaged pillars compromise bearing capacity, posing a potential threat to safety of the Trung Ha Bridge connecting Hanoi and Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam. Photo: T.Quan / Tuoi Tre

The transport department has installed danger warning signs, speed limits, and tonnage restrictions against tri-axle trucks, multi-axle vehicles, and passenger buses with over 29 seats attempting to access the bridge.

During the restriction period, vehicles traveling between Phu Tho and Hanoi are advised to take alternative routes, including the Dong Quang Bridge, the Van Lang Bridge, the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway, and National Highway 2.

While rejecting the Phu Tho Department of Transport’s request for additional water release into the Da River section through the Trung Ha Bridge, the irrigation department explained that the water extraction schedule is meticulously calculated, considering various factors like water demand and tidal schedules, ensuring optimal conditions for irrigation projects. 

Altering the schedule puts irrigation works under a risk of water shortages.

The irrigation department has urged the Phu Tho Department of Transport to promptly seek solutions to the riverbed erosion from other competent authorities.

Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had also highlighted sand mining as the cause of the situation in a summary report on water extraction for winter-spring rice cultivation in the northern midlands and the Red River Delta region.

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