104-year-old Long Bien Bridge to undergo surface recoating
Beginning Friday night, traffic on the historic Long Bien Bridge, a symbol of the capital city, will be limited to carry out recoating of the bridge’s concrete surface.
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| Long Bien Bridge, the 114-year-old cantilever bridge that crosses the Red River, is undergoing a concrete surface recoating on one of its lane |
The municipal Department of Construction said the new material used for the coating is Carboncor asphalt, originally a South African technology which has been transferred to Vietnam. The new material is considered by the Ministry of Construction to be a "superior" variant compared to traditional asphalt concrete, as it is affordable, more environment-friendly and easy to apply.
During construction, barriers will be put up on the left lane of the railway track to stop traffic moving in the Hanoi-Long Bien District direction. On the right lane, bicycles can move in either direction, while motorbikes are only allowed to move in the Long Bien-Hanoi direction.
Construction is scheduled to take place between 10pm and 4am, starting from May 19 until May 31.
Built from 1899 to 1902 by the French architects Daydé and Pillé, the historic bridge is showing signs of serious disrepair, although maintenance is frequently carried out to ensure normal operations of the Hanoi-Lang Son Province railway. Long Bien Bridge was the first bridge constructed across the Red River, connecting the downtown district of Hoan Kiem with Long Bien District.
The bridge is 2,290m long, featuring a monorail with two lanes on its sides – reserved for motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians.
