Don’t Panic: The Phu My Bridge Is Not Falling Apart

A picture on Facebook showing a one-meter crack in Saigon’s largest cable-stayed Bridge has raised safety concerns among local residents even as city authorities say not to worry.

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The picture in question clearly shows one of Phu My Bridge’s girders with a large gap, followed by the caption “Current look of Phu My Bridge with a big crack. Very easy to collapse,” reports Zing.

The photo inspired many others to survey the bridge with their lenses, resulting in the detection of yet another one-meter gap where the cables and the bridge path are joined. The cavity is not visible to drivers on the bridge as it is covered by a large metal sheet.

Responding to a request of the Transport Department, Phu My Investment Company (PMC) had its chief engineer examine the structure. They concluded that the “frightening” gap is actually part of the bridge’s design.

According to PMC, the space is needed to accommodate thermal expansion - changes to the structure’s physical makeup as it contracts and expands based on the temperature.

Phu My Bridge spans over 2,000 meters between Districts 2 and 7. It was constructed and designed by German, French and Australian experts and opened to traffic in 2009 at a cost of US$142 million.

Here's a pretty nifty video that shows how the bridge was constructed: