Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on January 25 broke ground on the construction of Bach Dang Bridge and its connecting road.

The bridge will link the Ha Long-Hai Phong Highway to the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Highway .

It will stretch over the Bach Dang River and cost 7.6 trillion VND (more than 357.2 million USD) under the build-operate-transfer model.

Scene at the ceremony to begin the construction of Bach Dang Bridge

The Quang Ninh province People’s Committee is the project’s main investor, and it will be built by Japanese group SE in coordination with the Bach Dang Bridge BOT Joint Stock Company and other local subcontractors.

The bridge will be over three kilometres long and 25 metres wide, with four lanes allowing speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour.

The bridge is one of the two main components of the Ha Long-Hai Phong Highway project. The other component, the 19.5km highway, was kicked off in September 2014. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2016.

Once completed, it will contribute to completing a route connecting the key northern economic triangle, Ha Noi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh. The project is also expected to increase investment in Quang Ninh, contributing to socio-economic development.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Deputy PM Hai praised efforts made by the authorities and people of Quang Ninh to clear hurdles for the project.

He asked investors to coordinate closely with Quang Ninh and Hai Phong authorities to accelerate construction and ensure the quality and efficiency of the work.

The Ha Long-Hai Phong Highway will shorten the distance from Quang Ninh to Ha Noi from 180 km to about 130 km, and make it easier for tours from the northern region to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage