The Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program

© Commonwealth of Australia 2003

My Thuan Bridge Impact Monitoring Study

My Thuan Cable-stayed Bridge

Capital cost A$90 m (US$60 m)

Overall length 1,560 m

Main bridge length 600 m

Length of main span 350 m

Width of deck 24 m

Navigation clearance 37.5 m

Height of towers 120 m

Depth of river at the towers

26 m

APPROACH AND

METHODOLOGY

The Selection of Methods Planning of Monitoring Activities:

Criteria: economic, traffic, social, environment, bridge management.

Baseline data:

1) Socio-economic profile for provinces (1993).

2) Traffic at My Thuan from Feasibility Study.

3) Socio-economic data for bridge communes

4) Water quality testing during feasibility and project construction.

5) Bridge inspection and Maintenance manual.

Define the contents of January 2001, July 2001, January 2002, July 2002, January 2003 and Final (July 2003) reports.

A comprehensive methods/techniques for time series and cross section data collection:- Statistical data from GSO and Mekong delta provincial statistical office.- Delphi survey:

+ key informants (local authorities, managers of industrial zones, head of communes/villages, head of local association etc), Road Authority VII, Bridge and Road Maintenance Company 715, Manager of various ferries station in the Mekong delta etc.

+ Focus groups interviews: people who are primarily dependent on the MT ferry, former ferry employees, other people who gained a livelihood from the ferry.

- Household questionnaire design.

- Count & observe: change of shops along access roads to the MT bridge and between HCMC and MT bridge, number of vehicles using the bridge (Original –Destination traffic surveys), number of advertisement boards around the bridge etc.

- Comparison technique: before/after project

Data analysis and writing up:- Set up the tables, figures, graphs, boxes and

other annexes necessary.- Using advanced excel and/or econometric

techniques for data analysis (e.g. analysis of O-D traffic survey, using various data drawn from survey/questionnaire to present in the tables/graphs.

- Discussion/workshops/comments (during the writing up of the reports.

STUDY

FINDINGS

Average daily traffic in 2002

Vehicles 20,100

People 87,000

Freight (t) 13,100

Agric. 5,400

Indus. 7,700

Car, 1,300

Motor-cycle, 10,600

Van & bus, 4,500

Truck (10t+),

700

Truck (<10t), 3,000

Origin/Destination of travel

Tien Giang

Hau Giang

64%

36%

Tien Giang

Hau Giang

27%

73%

Tien Giang

Hau Giang

33%

67%

Tien Giang

Hau Giang

25%

75%

Agricultural goods

Motorcycle passengers

Car, van & bus passengers

Industrial goods

Growth in traffic crossing the Tien Giang at My Thuan

Daily movement Growth (% pa)

1994(ferry)

1999(ferry)

2002(bridge)

1994-1999

1999-2002

Vehicles

Motorcycle 1,660 3,700 10,600 17% 42%

Car, van & bus 1,440 3,000 5,800 16% 25%

Trucks 880 2,300 3,700 19% 20%

Total vehicles 3,980 9,000 20,100 18% 31%

People 22,600 na 87,000 18%

Freight (t) 4,100 na 13,100 16%

My Thuan Bridge

12%

Average annual growth in freight movement (1994-2002)

17%

16%

18%

Hau Giang

Tien Giang

Directional growth in freight

Forecast vs actual traffic

Daily traffic over My Thuan Bridge(2002)

Feasibility Study f’cast

Actual Differ-ence

Vehicles Motorcycle 4,600 10,600 132% Car, van & bus 4,300 5,800 35% Trucks 2,500 3,700 49% Total vehicles 11,400 20,100 77%

People Motorcycle Car, van & bus Total people

7,800 18,500 137%56,900 68,300 20%64,700 86,800 34%

Freight (t) 11,600 13,100 13%

Benefits to travellers

Type Average benefit Beneficiaries(number in 2002)

Reduced and more reliable travel, and less pollution

26 minute saving per crossing in 1994; more by 2002

32 million person crossings

Reduced vehicle operating costs

A$1.00/passenger vehicle/crossing and A$2.50/truck/crossing

7 million vehicles

Reduced damage to goods

A$1.50/truck/crossing 5 million tonnes of freight in 1.3 million trucks

Economic development

The Delta is industrial-ising, but agriculture is still important

GPP/capita has risen faster in the Delta than in HCMC

GPP/capita in the Delta is still well below that in HCMC

Economic growth in the Delta has been similar to that used in the Feasibility Study

Share of GPP (%) GPP/-cap

(VND m const.)Agric. Other

HCMC

1993 5 95 8.0

2002 2 98 18.1

Mekong Delta

1993 61 39 2.0

2002 51 49 5.6

Development of industrial zones

20% of economic activity in Delta is from industry (46% in HCMC)

6 industrial zones are proposed for Dong Thap and Vinh Long provinces

Sa Dec zone Commenced in 1999 Good progress My Thuan Bridge (15 km away)

viewed as being important

Development of Sa Dec IZ

Proposals July 0I Feb. 03

Investigation 10 14

Construction - 6

Total 10 20

Environment

Before After

Air pollution

High (excessive) level of pollution at ferry landings from vehicle queuing.

Low emissions at bridge. Some increase from traffic growth.

Water pollution

High level of pollution from vehicle & human activity by the river, and from the ferry.

Water runoff much less polluted.

Noise High level of noise at ferry landings.

Noise now reduced and more distant from most people.

Social impacts and transition

Former ferry employees redeployed (to bridge and other ferries) New markets constructed at Hoa Hung & Tan Hoi to provide alternative

employment opportunities for vendors Vendors relocating to the new markets faced a difficult first 6 months, but

conditions improved as the new markets became established – shops on road approaches increased from 160→540

Elimination of delays at ferry landings has reduced loitering, improved personal security and reduced opportunity for spread of sexually transmitted diseases

Better access to social services because of ease of crossing the river and lower costs

Lessons Support should be provided for the development of

systems for inspection and maintenance of infrastructure and management of incidents.

Programs to monitor the performance of projects should be designed and initiated ahead of project completion to ensure the availability of up-to-date baseline data.

Actions to address the needs of those adversely affected by replacement of the former ferries need to be an integral part of such projects.

Detailed consideration should be given to complementary projects that are needed to ensure consistent network capacity.

Tolls set on a more explicit basis to ensure financial sustainability.

Conclusion Bridge built within budget and completed ahead of schedule Considerable technology transfer to Vietnamese partners Forecast demand has been substantially exceeded, especially

motorcycles and person movement Considerable benefits from the bridge

Greater-than-expected benefit due to higher traffic Development along access roads and economic growth

Satisfactory transition for people affected Former ferry employees redeployed More difficult transition for vendors, but new markets now better

established Positive environmental and social outcomes

Reduced noise and emissions Improved access to local services Delays eliminated, resulting in less loitering and improved personal

security