In February 2005, Hanoi launched the construction of Vinh Tuy bridge with a total investment capital of VND 3,600 billion to help ease the pressing issue of transport and communication in the capital, reducing the traffic flow in Chuong Duong bridge, contributing to completing the city’s belt road No 2 and creating more favourable conditions for development of new urban areas by the two banks of the Red river.

Vinh Tuy bridge is considered as one of the key works of the capital at the moment, said Mr Nguyen Quoc Hung, director of the Ta Ngan left-bank of the Red river infrastructure project management unit. The bridge plays a significant role in settling the pressing issue of transport inside the city and across the river, thus contributing to promoting socio-economic development in the northern part of the Red river.

The whole project includes a 3,800 metre-river-spanning bridge and 2,030 metre-approaches. The key part of the bridge has a cross-cut of 38 metres. In the first phase, the cross-cut is 19.5 metres.
After the first phase of construction, there will be four motorised lanes on the bridge. The approaches to the bridge will have four motorised lanes, two lanes for buses and two other lanes for combined vehicles.
The bridge is designed to meet the transport flow of 34,000 vehicles a day by 2010 and 72,000 vehicles a day by 2020.
According to Mr Hung, this is the first bridge across the Red river with investment for the construction mobilised from the issuance of capital construction bonds. The bridge is also designed and built by workers of the transport sector’s strong businesses.
Currently, over 1,000 workers of strong construction enterprises under the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Defence, the Hanoi Construction Corporation are working urgently on the construction site.
Up to date, all nine bidding packages are being implemented, and up to 65% of the workload of the project has been completed.
However, difficulties in land clearance have slowed down the pace of construction.