Vehicles travel on the newly opened Thành Cổ Bridge across the Thạch Hãn River in the central province of Quảng Trị. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyết |
QUẢNG TRỊ — A bridge across the Thạch Hãn River in the central province of Quảng Trị was opened for public use on Wednesday.
The nine-span Thành Cổ Bridge is 311m long and 15m wide, with reinforced abutments placed on a bored pile foundation.
It is part of a 5.9km bypass of National Route 1 that passes through Quảng Trị Province, costing VNĐ680 billion (US$29.9 million) to build, which was also opened for public use on Wednesday.
The bypass starts from the Lê Lợi-National Route 1A junction in the province’s Triệu Phong District and ends at the Long Hưng-National Route 1 junction in Hải Lăng District.
The bridge and the bypass connect Quảng Trị and Ái Tử towns in Triệu Phong District, two administrative and economic centres of the province, and also connect other localities with the province’s Đông Hà City.
Speaking at the Thành Cổ Bridge launch ceremony on Wednesday, Nguyễn Đức Chính, chairman of Quảng Trị People’s Committee, said the bridge has significant meaning since it crosses the Thạch Hãn River where thousands of soldiers died during the war, the Dân Trí online newspaper reported.
“The bridge will facilitate travel and visits of residents to the national historic site of Quảng Trị Citadel,” he said.
“It is also part of an important traffic infrastructure that will help with socio-economic development of the province and localities, as well as ease traffic congestion on National Route 1A,” he added.
The bridge was launched on the occasion of the 70th War Invalids and Martyrs Day, which is on July 27. — VNS