With its construction beginning in 1898 under French colonial rule, Long Bien Bridge has been in operation for over a century, making it one of the oldest steel truss bridges still in use in the region. It was officially opened in 1902 and has since become a vital transportation link.

This 1,691-meter-long bridge spans the Red River, comprising 19 sections, and continues to support a significant volume of traffic, including dozens of trains, thousands of motorbikes, bicycles, and pedestrians daily. Although cars are no longer permitted to cross, the bridge remains a critical transportation artery.

Despite withstanding heavy bombing during past conflicts and being in use for 124 years, only a portion of the bridge's original structure remains intact. On the Hanoi side, nine sections and 3.5 sections on the Gia Lam side still retain their original design, while the rest have been replaced with military-style girder spans.

A recent photo taken in January 2026 shows a person walking on Long Bien Bridge, highlighting the bridge's continued importance as a transportation route for the local community.

The decision to undertake emergency repairs was prompted by a serious incident on February 2, when a steel joint on the bridge fractured, causing significant damage. The connecting plate broke, and the upper chord members separated from the truss nodes, raising concerns about the bridge's structural integrity.

In response to this incident, the railway authority immediately closed the affected section, rerouting trains to terminate at Gia Lam Station instead of Hanoi Station. After temporary reinforcement work was completed, the bridge reopened to train traffic on the evening of February 9.

Originally, the bridge was not intended to remain in service for so long. A major renovation in 2015, costing nearly VND300 billion, was expected to extend its lifespan only until 2020, when a new metro line was scheduled to be completed, providing a modern alternative for crossing the river.

However, the planned metro line, which was first approved in 2004, has been delayed repeatedly and has yet to begin construction. The project has been transferred to the Hanoi city government and is now tentatively scheduled for the 2030-2035 period, leaving the Long Bien Bridge to continue serving the community for the foreseeable future.