Construction of a new bridge connecting two villages in Kon Tum Province’s Kon Rẫy District has begun. — VNA/VNS Photo Cao Nguyên

KON TUM — The public has donated thousands of square metres of coffee-growing land in Kon Rẫy District in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum to build a bridge connecting two villages.

Construction of the concrete bridge between Village 6 and Kon Rơ Sa Village in the district’s Tân Lập Commune began at the end of last year and is expected to be completed next year.

It will reduce the commute between the villages by 15km for the 250 households there.

Besides, they have been forced to cross the Đăk Pne River, which separates them, by using a small iron suspension bridge.

The bridge is 1.5m wide and can only bear a load of 300kg, allowing motorbikes to ride in one direction.

Nguyễn Thị Ngát, a resident of Kon Rơ Sa, said transport of goods using motorbikes is costly.

“A big bridge is expected to make travel easier and facilitate trade.”

The new bridge is expected to cost the district VNĐ21 billion (US$903,300).

It will be 99m long and 6m wide.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hùng of Tân Lập Commune in Kon Tum Province’s Kon Rẫy District donated more than 2,600sq.m of farmlands for building a new bridge. — VNA/VNS Photo Cao Nguyên

To build it and its approach roads, 8,200sq.m of residential and agriculture lands were donated by eight local households.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hùng of Kon Rơ Sa Village donated 2,642sq.m of his family’s coffee land.

“A new bridge will bring much benefit to the villages and community, and so I encouraged other family members to agree to donate the land,” he said.

Trần Văn Xuyên donated 2,400sq.m and Ngô Thị Tuyết Sương donated 1,300sq.m.

Đào Đức Tiến, director of the Kon Rẫy District construction investment agency, said, “Thanks to the land donations, compensation was paid only for the standing crops on the land and not the land itself.”

Construction units are trying hard to remain on schedule. — VNS