Nearly 3,000 meters of electric cables were stolen from the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway in the northern Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh after the route was opened to traffic about a week ago.
The electric cables were meant to light up about 4,600 light poles along the 80-kilometer four-lane expressway.
Aside from the cables, circuit boards, circuit breakers, and other devices were also stolen.
As a result, light poles installed along where the 3,000 meters of stolen cables had been no longer work.
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Thieves stole circuit boards from the lighting system installed along the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Do Phuong / Tuoi Tre |
The VND44 trillion (US$1.87 billion) Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway opened to traffic on September 1 after more than three years of construction.
This is the first and only highway in Vietnam equipped with a lighting system stretching its entire route.
The new route, which allows vehicles to travel at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour, helps shorten travel time between Van Don District and Mong Cai City from two hours to 50 minutes.
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Thieves removed a bolt from a light pole installed along the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway to steal electric cables in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Do Phuong / Tuoi Tre |
It also connects to the 300-kilometer Hanoi - Ha Long Expressway and 264-kilometer Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway to form the longest route in the country.
Up to 60,000 vehicles have passed the Van Don - Mong Cai Expressway since its inauguration.
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