A 10.2 trillion VND contract has been signed for building the main part and northern approach viaduct for Nhat Tan suspension bridge.

The contract is the largest and the most important among three tender packages of the project.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai witnessed the signing ceremony between the project management board and Japanese contractor partnership, IHI and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Company, in Hanoi on August 23.

The bridge will link the city centre with industrial zones (IZs) in the north, including the North Thang Long-Van Tri, Dong Anh-Co Loa, and Gia Lam-Sai Dong-Yen Vien IZs.

It will also complete the second belt road and shorten travel time from the city centre to Noi Bai International Airport .

The Nhat Tan bridge project spans nearly 9km, including the 3.7km bridge crossing the Red River, becoming the longest bridge anywhere in Vietnam. The bridge will be 33.2m wide and divided into four lanes for vehicles, two for buses and two for other vehicles.

The total cost for the project is estimated at 13.6 trillion VND, sourced from loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and contributions from the Vietnamese government.

Construction of the project is expected to be completed in October, 2012./.