Historic Long Biên Bridge to close for major repairs until 2026

On March 26, the Hà Nội Department of Construction announced the plan to support the repair of road sections on both sides of Long Biên Bridge, which lies on the Hà Nội-Đồng Đăng railway line.

Train transport will not be affected by the closure.

Under the plan, the entire road section of the bridge from Bồ Đề Ward to Hoàn Kiếm Ward will be closed during construction. Motorcycles and non-motorised vehicles wishing to cross the bridge will be diverted via Long Biên 1 Street, Long Biên 2 Street and Long Biên-Xuân Quan Road before accessing Chương Dương Bridge.

The road section in the opposite direction, from Hoàn Kiếm Ward to Bồ Đề Ward, will also be closed. Vehicles from Yên Phụ and Hàng Đậu will be redirected to Trần Nhật Duật Street, then to the roundabout at the approach to Chương Dương Bridge.

Vehicles from Trần Quang Khải Street and Dyke Road 401 will follow the same route.

On Chương Dương Bridge, bicycles will be allowed to travel in both directions in the mixed-traffic lane.

The plan will take effect from 9am on March 28 until May 27, 2026.

Spanning the Hồng (Red) River, Long Biên Bridge was built between 1898 and 1902 during the French colonial period. The bridge remains a key rail link on northern routes connecting Hà Nội with Đồng Đăng, Hải Phòng and Lào Cai. Classified as structurally weak, it still carries tens of thousands of daily crossings by trains, motorbikes and bicycles.

In 2025, the bridge underwent maintenance to address serious deterioration. - VNS