The Management Board of the East-West Highway project met March 13 with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and Council to report on the March 8 towing and placement of the first section of the Thu Thiem Tunnel.
According to the Management Board, strong currents and shipping in the Saigon River caused problems when contractors towed the first section of the Thu Thiem Tunnel on March 8.
Stronger currents than calculated caused the tunnel section to drift away from the planned towing trajectory, the board said.
Planners had miscalculated the current strength because they had taken readings on the edge of the river rather than in the middle, the board added.
The tunnel section will be part of Thu Thiem tunnel which when completed will connect District 1 and District 2.
The board said it plans to tow the second section at 8am on April 5 to ensure safer currents speeds of 0.3 meter per second.
It said a lot of shipping was still operating on the river during the towing operation despite public announcements that sections of the river would be temporarily closed.
Notices prohibiting all shipping around Phu My Bridge and temporarily halting operation of Binh Khanh ferry and some wharfs were too late, making difficulties for residents, the board said.
The board suggested it should change the timing of its public announcements to give shipping better notice of future temporary bans. Two notices in the media would be made - a week and three days before the next section is towed, it reported.
A detailed plan was also suggested for co-coordinating more vessels to tow the third and fourth sections.
Fire police said there were not enough fire extinguishers provided for the first towing operation.
The city’s vice chairman Le Hoang Quan concluded the meeting by praising the board and relevant agencies for their success in towing and installing the first section.
Mr. Quan said detailed plans for the next section’s towing have to be made to avoid the same problems.
He asked for the city’s hydrometeorology station to measure the current speed in preparation to tow the second section.
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