Hanoi determined to eliminate all parking lots under bridges

Going around the parking lots under Chuong Duong and Nga Tu Vong bridges, the reporter noticed that the parking signs had been removed, and there were no longer any signs of vehicles under the bridges. There were also signs hanging on the fence advising people not to leave their vehicles with unauthorized people.

img_4715.jpg -0 — The parking lots under the bridge were empty.

Hanoi has only exploited 72/1,690 parking lots.

Mr. Thai Son, a resident who owns a shop in Hanoi's Old Quarter, shared: "Right after the fire under Vinh Tuy Bridge, we, the people, were also scared. However, there are very few parking spots around the Old Quarter. All the spots are full. I sell goods in the street, and I usually park my car under Chuong Duong Bridge, then walk in. These days, this parking spot has been disbanded, so I'm also confused, not knowing where to park my car. These days, I've been taking Grab to work, but in the long run, it's not very convenient. I just hope that the authorities will check and supervise, and allow them to operate wherever conditions permit, so that people have more official parking spots." Mr. Thai Son's wish is also the wish of many people who need to park their vehicles.

As of September 10, the area under Vinh Tuy Bridge is the only parking lot that has not had its license revoked and relocated. Parking activities are still bustling. Mr. Tran Huu Bao, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Construction, said that this parking lot was licensed for a pilot program by the Hanoi People's Committee in 2010. The Department of Construction is currently reviewing and will soon have a report and propose that the city revoke the license in September 2025.

The leader of the Department of Construction also added that the current population of the capital is estimated at about 10 million people with 8.1 million vehicles, not including vehicles from other localities circulating in the capital. According to the approved plan, Hanoi has 1,690 parking lots. But so far, Hanoi has only built and put into operation 72 parking lots. Many planned parking lots have not been invested in construction.

According to Mr. Bao, implementing Resolution 12/NQ-CP of the Government , Hanoi is one of five centrally-run cities that are allowed to review and organize areas under bridges and elevated roads for temporary use as parking lots. Recently, after the fire, two temporary licensed parking lots under bridges were revoked. "The Department of Construction will report to the city to consider and revoke the remaining parking spots under Vinh Tuy Bridge, completely eliminating all parking lots under bridges," the Department leader emphasized.

Need to have a plan to restore Vinh Tuy bridge soon

According to information from the Ministry of Construction , the Ministry has coordinated with the Hanoi People's Committee and specialized units to hold a preliminary assessment of the load-bearing capacity of the Ram CV1C branch of Vinh Tuy Bridge towards Nguyen Khoi dike, after the fire at the parking lot on August 30.

Regarding the inspection results, Associate Professor Dr. Ngo Van Minh (consultant) said that the fire occurred under the Ram CV1C branch bridge, the last 2 spans (N1, N2) connected to the abutment and pier T2. The fire affected the bottom and girder ribs of the structure. The total duration of the fire was about 45 minutes over an area of ^300m2 , causing damage to about 500 motorbikes.

According to Mr. Minh, through survey and inspection, the location of pier M1 was not affected by the fire. The bridge bearing of pier M1 was in normal condition, not affected. Experts have assessed that according to the standard fire path, the temperature at the center of the fire could reach 900 ^degrees Celsius.

This person assessed that after the fire, the concrete had degraded to a certain extent. The longitudinal reinforcement had not been affected much, while the belt reinforcement had been affected due to heat. Experts said that the Ram CV1C branch of Vinh Tuy Bridge can still operate at the designed load of HL93. However, to ensure long-term safe operation, the bridge span and piers need to be repaired and the damage fixed. While waiting for the repair, the current limit on vehicle weight on the bridge should still be maintained.

Providing more information on this issue, Mr. Tran Huu Bao, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Construction, said that the unit had conducted an inspection immediately after the fire, diverted traffic, and limited the load on the Ram CV1C branch of Vinh Tuy Bridge towards Nguyen Khoi dike. At the same time, the bridge inspection was carried out according to the direction of the Ministry of Construction as well as the Government. In the near future, after agreeing on the inspection results, Hanoi will focus on repairing as soon as possible, ensuring the safety of the structure and traffic participants.

On the side of the Ministry of Construction, Mr. Ta Quang Vinh, Director of the Department of Construction Infrastructure, said that in the city, there are only three parking lots under bridges approved by the city. Through the latest inspection, two parking lots under bridges that were temporarily licensed in Hanoi have been removed. Currently, there is a parking lot under Vinh Tuy, this location is managed and exploited by Hanoi Parking Lot Exploitation Company Limited, which is assigned by the city.

"The problem of lack of parking lots in Hanoi is serious. We must clarify specific regulations on parking lots under bridges. How are inspections carried out? Are they implemented? What are the standards and regulations for implementation?", Mr. Vinh suggested.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan highly appreciated the Hanoi Department of Construction's quick implementation of the work of inspection and testing of the project. The results of the inspection were relatively complete. The Deputy Minister requested the units of the Ministry, in coordination with the Hanoi Department of Construction, to review and contribute to completing the full assessment report, focusing on considering the load factor of Vinh Tuy bridge.

The Deputy Minister said: "A civilized city must have many underground parking lots. The Hanoi Department of Construction needs to study and propose solutions to the city to overcome this situation. At the same time, it is necessary to propose and coordinate to thoroughly handle the situation of re-encroachment on roads and sidewalks, and build a civilized urban culture," Deputy Minister Le Anh Tuan emphasized.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Giao-thong/ha-noi-neu-quyet-tam-xoa-bo-toan-bo-bai-xe-gam-cau-i781004/