Vietnam has started building its longest sea bridge that will connect Tan Vu and Cat Hai island in the northern port city of Hai Phong, as the country prepares for a hike in cargo shipments by sea.
Construction of the 15.6-kilometer Tan Vu-Cat Hai Bridge will involve more than VND11.8 trillion (US$559.4 million) in investment, of which VND10 trillion will be in the form of Japanese assistance and the rest to be provided by the Vietnamese government.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung inaugurated the infrastructure development during groundbreaking ceremonies on February 15.
Set for completion by 2017, the Tan Vu-Cat Hai Bridge is a key component of the Lach Huyen Port’s infrastructure, connecting the developing areas east of the city to the seaport, which is set to be the country’s largest port, as well as to the Dinh Vu industrial zone, and the Hanoi-Hai Phong highway, which is also under construction.
The Lach Huyen Port is scheduled to open in 2016 and is expected to have an annual handling capacity of 35 million to 50 million tons of cargo by 2020. It will be capable of serving large cargo ships that can go directly from Vietnam to Europe and the United States, making the country’s exports more competitive.
It is also seen to cut travel costs and time, minimize traffic accidents, and lower transport risks by ferry, as well as propel industrial development along the coastal area of Hai Phong and promote tourism on Cat Ba islands.
Photo: davethetemp
