Work starts on Hanoi’s first cable-stayed bridge

Construction of Hanoi’s first cable-stayed bridge started Saturday in suburban Dong Anh district, which will be linked by the bridge to the downtown Tay Ho District. The VND13.6 trillion (US$777 million) cost of the 3.7-kilometer-long Nhat Tan Bridge is being met by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Vietnamese government. The cable-stayed bridge, expected to open to traffic in late 2010, will link Hanoi’s central area to industrial zones in suburban areas and cut travel time from Hanoi’s central business district to Noi Bai International Airport The 33.2-meter-wide bridge will have eight lanes, including two dedicated bus lanes, and pavements for pedestrians. When complete, the bridge will be fifth to cross Hanoi’s Hong (Red) River, after the Long Bien, Thang Long, Chuong Duong bridges and the Thanh Tri bridge, which is under construction. sources from vietnewsonline.vn