The pontoon bridge across the Lô River in Đoan Hùng Commune, Phú Thọ Province. VNA/VNS Photos Văn Cảnh

VIỆT TRÌ — A pontoon bridge crossing the Lô River in Phú Thọ Province has opened to traffic.

On February 16, General Nguyễn Tân Cương, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence, together with Phú Thọ Provincial Party Secretary Phạm Đại Dương, attended the inauguration ceremony.

On behalf of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, General Cương warmly commended the sense of responsibility, dedication and significant contributions of all officers, soldiers and participating forces involved in assembling the bridge.

He said that the Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge is a project of special significance, not only in terms of transport but also in demonstrating responsibility and the close bond between the army and the people.

The General expressed his deep emotion and pride in the readiness of the participating forces to accept and accomplish every assigned task.

General Nguyễn Tân Cương, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence, speaks at the inauguration ceremony of the pontoon bridge across the Lô River. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Cảnh

Many officers and soldiers were on Tết (Lunar New Year) leave, some having just returned home to reunite with their families after a year of hard work, others preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year with parents, spouses and children.

Yet upon receiving orders, all of them immediately set aside their personal joys, promptly returned to their units and departed to carry out the mission without hesitation. Such spirit, he noted, is not merely obedience to command but, more profoundly, an expression of steadfastness, responsibility and wholehearted devotion to serving the people – helping the people as an 'order from the heart'.

The urgent deployment of the Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge, following the Prime Minister’s directive, was carried out within a tight timeframe and involved a substantial workload.

However, through tireless efforts and continuous work, the participating forces completed the bridge installation on the very day of mobilisation, ensuring technical standards and absolute safety, ready to be put into operation to serve the public.

This achievement, he stressed, reflected the proactive and central role of the Engineer Corps; the close and effective coordination of Military Region 2, the Air Defence – Air Force Service, Party committees, authorities and people of Phú Thọ Province, along with on-site forces and local enterprises.

Their seamless coordination, unity and determination to overcome difficulties created a combined strength that enabled the mission to be accomplished successfully.

The Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge across the Lô River is more than 220 metres long and six metres wide, featuring a floating pontoon structure. The selection of the bridge site was carefully calculated by Brigade 249, based on current velocity, riverbank terrain and riverbed stability.

At present, vehicles with fewer than seven seats are permitted to cross the bridge. The pontoon bridge will serve residents during the repair and restoration of the Sông Lô Bridge. It will operate daily from 6am to 9pm but during the Tết period, Brigade 249 will operate the bridge 24 hours a day to facilitate travel for people celebrating the Lunar New Year. — VNS

The Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge across the Lô River is more than 220 metres long and six metres wide, featuring a floating pontoon structure.

Vehicles crossing the pontoon bridge across the Lô River in Đoan Hùng Commune, Phú Thọ Province.

The urgent deployment of the Đoan Hùng pontoon bridge, following the Prime Minister’s directive, was carried out within a tight timeframe and involved a substantial workload.

At present, vehicles with fewer than seven seats are permitted to cross the bridge.

It will operate daily from 6am to 9pm but during the Tết period will be open 24 hours.