[NEWS] Biggest bridge in Northern Vietnam to be built etc

[Dam Son <son@fermi.phys.washington.edu>]

Biggest bridge in Northern Vietnam to be built

Hanoi (VNA) - Intensified preparations are being made to build the biggest
bridge in northern Vietnam, according to sources from the Ministry of
Transport and Communications. 

A feasibility study for construction of the bridge across the Red River in
Hanoi's southern district of Thanh Tri will be conducted with Japanese
finance under a relevant memorandum of understanding signed recently by
representatives of the Japanese Government and the ministry. It will take
15 months to complete the study. 

The US$120 million project is part of a plan to build a 50 km ringroad
round the capital, linking the national Highway 1A running form the North
to the South with Highway 5 (from Hanoi to Haiphong port). 

The 1.8 km Thanh Tri bridge will be 100 metres longer than the Thang Long
bridge - he biggest at present also across the Red River. 

Feasibility studies for this bridge and the Can Tho bridge across the Hau
river in the Mekong delta will be conducted by the Japanese International
Cooperation agency (JICA). The Overseas Economic cooperation Fund (OECF)
of Japan has reportedly submitted documents to the Japanese Government for
approval of the finance. 
  ___________________________________

Vietnam starts building Japanese funded bridge project

Hanoi (VNA) - Work for the construction and repair of bridges in
northern Vietnam started in My Duc district, Ha Tay province, last
week in the presence of representatives of the Japanese Embassy and
Vietnamese Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Simultaneous starts will be made in the northern provinces of Ba Thai,
Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Ha Bac, Lang Son, Hai
Duong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Hoa Binh, Son La and Lai Chau.

It is the first project of the transport sector to receive
nonrefundable aid from Japan and will include 21 bridges in remote
rural and mountainous areas of the 14 northern provinces.

Money for the project will also be used to buy girders for eight other
bridges in five northern provinces.

The project, which was agreed to by the governments of Vietnam and
Japan in January and May 1996, are expected to be finished within the
next three years.
  ___________________________________

Vietnam Govt approves Hai Van Tunnel Project

Hanoi (VNA) - A project to build a tunnel running through Hai Van pass
in central Vietnam has been approved by the Government, according to  
sources from the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Under the project, a 14 km long road, including a 5km long tunnel,
will be built for railway and other means of transport which run on
Vietnam's backbone route, national highway 1A, linking the central
province of Thua Thien-Hue and coastal city of Da Nang.  

The new section will replace the existing 22 km long one which winds  
around the pass. This has been considered as the most dangerous point
on the trans- Vietnam highway 1A.

Of the project's US$163 million total investment, more than US$59
million comes from the Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation fund
(OECF).

At present, Japanese experts are conducting a detailed technical
design for the project.