Hai orders inspection of all suspension bridges

The quality of all suspension bridges in the country will be inspected following an official document signed by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.

Hai ordered the People's Committees of the provinces and cities to assume the responsibility of conducting the inspections.


The committees have to suspend the traffic movement on substandard suspension bridges immediately, as well as formulate a new plan to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the localities, he said.

Hai asked the localities to use their local budgets and road maintenance funds to repair, upgrade or re-build the substandard suspension bridges.

Each People's Committee has also been asked to issue regulations on managing, operating and maintaining suspension bridges, he said, adding that the load-carrying capacity signs for vehicles using the suspension bridges should be rechecked, he added.

Hai directed the Ministry of Transport to issue a circular soon on how to manage and operate suspension bridges in the rural road system.

The ministry's findings showed that Viet Nam has 1,944 suspension bridges, and about 40 per cent of them need to be repaired and upgraded.