Đà Nẵng — The central city of Đà Nẵng has launched a contest to design a bridge and tunnel through the Hàn River.

Director of the city’s transport department, Lê Văn Trung, who is head of the contest’s organising committee, said 13 designs from 11 architecture firms including two from Japan and one from Spain, proposed their initial designs in a meeting with city officials on Sunday.

Trung said the city plans to hold a public vote to pick the best design to be constructed.

He said the contest winner will walk away with a cash-prize of VNĐ100 million (US$4,400), while the runner-up will get VNĐ70 million ($3,100), and third place wins VNĐ50 million ($2,200).

Trung said the tunnel is needed due to the increasing traffic in the city.

The partnership between the Vietnamese Bridge Design company and Japanese Oriental Consultants Global company also proposed a six-lane tunnel through the Hàn River  

Last year, the city planned to build a tunnel, the first traffic route under the Hản River, with investment of VNĐ3.3 trillion (US$157 million).

City authorities said the tunnel would help ease traffic congestion at junctions in Sơn Trà and Hải Châu districts.

Currently, the city has six major bridges including Thuận Phước, the Hàn Swing Bridge, Rồng (Dragon), Trần Thị Lý, Tuyên Sơn and Nguyễn Tri Phương, and the 1960s-built Nguyễn Văn Trỗi Bridge.

In 2013, the city’s Rồng (Dragon) Bridge claimed the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Diamond Award in the category for structural systems.

Earlier this year, the city also launched a contest to plan and design the Hàn River banks, aiming to create beautiful scenery for locals and tourists. — VNS