VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi’s Kim Lien underpass, the most modern underpass in Vietnam, opened this morning, June 16. However, it was closed after two hours because of flooding.

Only two hours after the underpass was opened this morning, it was closed because of flooding caused by a big rain.

Nguyen Sy Bao, director of the Hanoi’s key projects management board, the investor of the Kim Lien traffic centre project, explained to VietNamNet that the major pumping system was not in operation yet.

The pumping system at the construction site of the Kim Lien traffic centre had to be used, so it took one hour to pump out the flood water.

Bao said that once the major pumping system becomes operational, the underpass will not be flooded in big rains like the one this morning.

He emphasised that the close of the underpass after two hours of opening was only because of flooding, not any technical problem.

Meanwhile, Takagi, JICA’s high-ranking advisor, told VietNamNet that the underpass being flooded was not an abnormal thing.

Kim Lien underpass is one of the last components of the project on transportation infrastructure development for Hanoi supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It is the most modern underpass in Vietnam with 140m reinforced concrete box culvert structure and 405m reinforced concrete retaining wall structure.

The work was built by Japan’s Taisei Corporation under the supervision of the Japan Bridge and Structure Institute, which also drew up the detailed design for the project. Kim Lien underpass is a section of ring road 1 in Hanoi.

Within the framework of the project on transportation infrastructure development for Hanoi, which is funded by a Japanese official development assistance (ODA) loan worth $130 million, the construction of Kim Lien underpass and other components including flyovers at Nga Tu Vong and Nga Tu So intersections, mini bypass at the southern end of Thang Long Bridge and Huu Hong dyke road, Kim Lien-O Cho Dua Road and 16 pedestrian flyovers aim to eliminate major problem areas in the city’s transport system. 

The underpass was temporarily blocked off with barriers.

VietNamNet/VNE