The administration in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam has proposed building a new bridge to replace the deteriorating Dakrong Bridge, which is on the verge of collapse, to be able to import up to 30 million metric tons of coal a year from Laos.

The Dakrong Bridge connects Vietnam with Laos and Thailand.

Vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Duc Tien had submitted to the Ministry of Transport and the Department for Roads of Vietnam a plan to build a reinforced concrete bridge on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road, the office of the provincial administration said on Monday.

Over the past few months, the number of vehicles transporting goods, especially coal, from Laos to Vietnam through La Lay International Border Gate in Dakrong District has surged, up to 400 vehicles daily on average, according to the provincial administration.

These vehicles travel along National Highway 15D, the Western Ho Chi Minh Road and on the bridge, and continue on National Highway 9 to access local seaports.

However, the Dakrong Bridge, which was put into service in 2002 and is part of the backbone Ho Chi Minh Road, is at risk of collapse, leading to a restriction on vehicles’ payload.

The restriction is expected to hamper the transport of goods, while the deteriorating bridge could pose potential danger for drivers and assets, Tien underscored.

Meanwhile, two coal mines in Laos’ Sekong and Salavan Provinces sharing borderlines with Quang Tri Province boast an output of some one billion metric tons of coal.

Due to its close proximity to seaports, Laos needs Quang Tri to export coal, at an estimated 20 - 30 million metric tons per year.

In 2023, some 2.3 million metric tons of coal was shipped to Quang Tri from Laos, contributing over VND500 billion (US$19.6 million) to the state budget.

To boost coal imports into Vietnam and improve the contribution to the state budget, Quang Tri proposed the ministry and the department weigh on its plan to repair and upgrade the Dakrong Bridge and to build a new bridge to serve long-term transport activities.

An expected increase in coal imports following the construction of the new bridge is aimed at spurring the province’s socio-economic growth.

On May 10, the Road Management Area II, the operator of the Dakrong Bridge, erected warning signs at the two sides of the bridge, requiring vehicles to pass through it at a maximum speed of five kilometers per hour as the bridge has deteriorated.

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