Bãi Cháy Bridge

Bai Chay Bridge Cầu Bãi Cháy
Bai Chay Bridge's main span
Coordinates	20°57′37″N 107°03′57″E
Carries	4 lanes (cable-stayed section) and 6 lanes (the other sections), 2 lanes each way and 2 pedestrian lanes
Crosses	Hạ Long Bay
Locale	Quảng Ninh Province,
Maintained by	Shimizu, Sumitomo, Mitsui
Characteristics
Design	Cable-stayed bridge
Total length	1,106 meters (3,629 ft)
Width	25 meters (82 ft)
Height	150 meters (490 ft)
Longest span	435 meters (1,427 ft)
Clearance below	50 meters (160 ft)
History
Construction start	May 18, 2003
Opened	December 2, 2006
Location

The Bãi Cháy Bridge (Vietnamese: Cầu Bãi Cháy) is a cable-stayed bridge on Highway 18, connecting Hồng Gai with Bãi Cháy over the Cửa Lục Straits, separating Cửa Lục Bay with Hạ Long Bay, the territory of Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam.

This is the type of cable-stayed bridge which has two outer span, reinforced concrete box beams prestressed with the width of the world record pace for this type of bridge. The towers are located on the huge-sized pneumatic caisson foundation system, first applied in Vietnam with modern construction technologies. Bridge is constructed by balanced cantilever technology, at head height of 50m above the water level, bridge beams are reaching out to sea and ends when connecting two aligned, this construction technology to assure that vessels still can operate normally during the construction process.

The work was completed and opened to traffic on December 2, 2006. Bãi Cháy Bridge has been put to use to address the needs of the people of Quảng Ninh, tourists inside and outside Vietnam, and also to end decades of operation of the Bãi Cháy ferry.

Technical details

Bãi Cháy Bridge view from afar

The bridge during construction

Bãi Cháy Bridge at night

• Bãi Cháy Bridge is the first central-line cable-stayed bridge in Vietnam. At the time of the inauguration, it took the record of longest central-line span of cable-stayed bridge.
• The beginning located at 115th km of the Highway 18 and ending located at Kenh Liem junction - Hạ Long city
• Length: 1,106 meters (3,629 ft)
• Width: 25 meters (82 ft) (4 lanes and 2 pedestrian lanes)
• Spans: 5 spans, main span of 435 meters (1,427 ft)
• Navigable width: 150 meters (490 ft)
• Load: Class A standard Japanese
• Cost: about VND 1046 billions, 40-month construction period, to November 30, 2006 termination
• Owner: Ministry of Transport, representing the owner: Project Management Unit 18-PMU18
• Design consultant - Monitor: Institute of bridges and structures in Japan
• Construction Contractor: Shimizu-Sumitomo-Mitsui

See also

• List of longest cable-stayed bridge spans
• Hạ Long Bay
• Transport in Vietnam
• List of bridges