Cua Dai Bridge Cầu Cửa Đại | |
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Coordinates | 15°51′56″N 108°22′34″E / 15.865527°N 108.376184°E |
Carries | Vehicles, Pedestrians |
Crosses | Thu Bồn River |
Locale | Quang Nam Province, Vietnam |
Characteristics | |
Design | cantilever |
Material | Prestressed concrete |
Width | 25.5 metres (84 ft) |
Longest span | 1,482 metres (4,862 ft) [1] |
History | |
Construction start | August 31, 2009 |
Opened | March 27, 2016 |
Location | |
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Cua Dai Bridge ( Vietnamese: Cầu Cửa Đại), is a cable-stayed bridge that crosses the Thu Bồn River in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.
In June 2009, a VND2 trillion (US$111 million) infrastructure budget was approved, which included resources allocated for the Cua Dai Bridge project. [2] In August 2009, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction on the bridge. [3]
Cua Dai was built using the balanced cantilever method made with concrete spans. [4] [5] The structure consists of prestressed reinforced concrete and reinforced concrete. [1] At 150 meters, it has the longest cantilever span in Vietnam. [6] The bridge is the longest in Quang Nam Province. [7] By the completion of construction, the project would cost 3,450 billion VND. [8] Cua Dai bridge was built as part of a larger 18,300 metres (60,039 ft) road project, [3] which includes the 4,780 metres (15,682 ft) kilometer road from Hoi An, a 12,040 metres (39,501 ft) kilometer roads from Duy Xuyen District, and the 1,482 metres (4,862 ft) of the bridge itself. [8]
In 2016, the bridge was open for traffic on a trial basis, establishing a direct route in Hoi An between Duy Xuyên and Thăng Bình districts. [9] Previous to the bridge's construction, local commuters were required to use the distant Tra Khuc II Bridge or embark on small boats to cross the wide Thu Bon River. [10] [4] Officials estimate that despite the districts being only 2km apart as the crow flies, motorists would travel 20 kilometers of distance by using the Tra Khuc II Bridge. [10] [11] The bridge has an expected lifespan of 100 years. [11]
The bridge also serves as a major connection within a coastal road project that would go through North, Central, and Southern regions of Vietnam. [12] The bridge expanded the maritime capacity of the provinces within Vietnam's Central region, including an expansion of Kỳ Hà Port. [13] In addition to reducing daily traveling time, the bridge is also serves a role in preventing storms and floods, aiding with emergency evacuation, and connecting the banks of the world heritage sites of Old Town Hội An and the Mỹ Sơn temple complex. [6]