Replace concrete dividers with plastic markers on Phu My bridge

The 60 cm thick concrete divider separating car and motorbike lanes on Phu My bridge was replaced with plastic cones to help increase the area for vehicles to pass, but many people worry about losing safety.

The measure is currently being implemented on Phu My bridge from Cat Lai ward (former Thu Duc city) to Phu Thuan (former district 7). The concrete median with a total length of more than 2 km was removed and replaced with plastic markers, making the motorbike road about half a meter wider.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the department assigned Phu My Bridge Investment Joint Stock Company, the project investor, to temporarily replace the median strip with marker posts while repairing the expansion joints on the bridge. After completion, the median will be reinstalled, but it is not expected to use thick concrete as before, but a thinner, more compact type to increase the area for vehicles to pass.

Previously, the median strip separating car and motorbike lanes on Phu My bridge was designed with concrete, 60 cm thick, about 80 cm high, and permanently installed in both directions. The investor said that at the request of the management agency, the unit plans to use steel separators after completing the expansion joint repair. This design takes up less bridge space than the previous concrete strip.

The adjustment is estimated to create more space for vehicles to cross Phu My bridge, contributing to limiting congestion in conditions where this place often has a large number of vehicles. However, the above plans also make many people worry about safety because the bridge has a high density of trucks and containers and has had many accidents, especially at steep slopes.

"If there is a collision, it is very easy for a car to rush into the motorbike lane when there is no hard enough median strip to stop it," said Ms. Phuong Oanh, 32 years old.

In addition to adjusting the median strip, the Department of Construction currently requests the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Construction Investment Projects to speed up the construction of the right turn lane from Vo Chi Cong Street to Dong Van Cong near Phu My Bridge. Some locations around the bridge are also required to be renovated and supplemented with lighting to increase visibility and ensure safety.

Phu My Bridge spans the Saigon River, located on Ring Road 2 of Ho Chi Minh City, started construction in 2005 in the form of BOT with a total capital of about 2,077 billion VND and put into operation in 2009.

This is the first cable-stayed bridge in Ho Chi Minh City, more than 2 km long, 6 lanes, 45 m clearance. After more than 15 years of operation, the bridge is often under heavy traffic pressure because it is located at the gateway of Cat Lai port, Phu Huu, with a dense density of large tonnage cars.

To reduce congestion and synchronize infrastructure in the area, Ho Chi Minh City's traffic industry is researching a plan to expand Phu My bridge to at least 8 lanes, with priority given to implementation until 2030.