On October 4th, the investor of the National Highway 13 expansion project announced that they had dismantled the 8-meter-diameter sphere at the Vinh Binh bridgehead area in Lai Thieu ward to clear the land for the project's construction.
A representative of the investor stated that the demolition of the structure aims to secure the land for the expansion project of National Highway 13, while also ensuring safety during the rainy and stormy season.
The sphere, constructed of steel and stainless steel and weighing approximately 18 tons, was installed in 2013 by the former People's Committee of Binh Duong province to replace the previous structure. It is one of the components of the overall Binh Duong welcome gate project, built with a budget of over 40 billion VND.
For many years, the image of the globe on the welcome gate has become a familiar landmark for people and vehicles traveling on National Highway 13, the main artery connecting the old Binh Duong area with the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
According to reports, over the past two days, workers have been using specialized cranes to lower the sphere to the ground, then proceed to cut and dismantle the steel structures for transportation. The dismantling work is expected to be completed in the next few days.
National Highway 13 is a crucial transportation artery at the northern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City, connecting the former Binh Duong area with the city center and surrounding localities. The road experiences high traffic volume and frequent congestion, especially during peak hours.
The project to expand National Highway 13, the section from the Vinh Phu welcome gate to the Le Hong Phong intersection, is approximately 13 km long and has been implemented since 2022 under a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) contract, with a total investment of nearly 1,400 billion VND.
According to the project plan, the road will be expanded from 6 to 8 lanes to increase traffic capacity, reduce traffic congestion, and meet the growing travel needs of the people.
To date, the section from Ong Bo Bridge intersection to Le Hong Phong junction has been completed and put into operation. The dismantling of the bridge at the Vinh Binh welcome gate area is one of the tasks serving the land clearance process for the expansion project of this vital road.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/thao-do-qua-cau-thep-18-tan-o-cong-chao-post1882135.tpo
