In Vietnam, drivers speed on unopened expressways
Monday, April 24, 2023, 15:44 GMT+7
Many vehicles are driving onto sections of the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressways, which are near completion but they are not yet open to traffic and construction workers still do their job there.
The two expressways are subprojects of the mammoth North-to-South expressway project in Vietnam.
The Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet section will be 100.8 kilometers long, stretching from Tuy Phong District to Ham Thuan Nam District in the south-central province of Binh Thuan upon completion.
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| An aerial view of the intersection of the under-construction Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressways in Ham Thuan Nam District, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
During the first phase, which costs VND10.8 trillion (US$459.8 million), the expressway section will have four lanes where vehicles will be allowed to travel at 80 kilometers per hour.
The final phase will have the number of lanes increase to six and the maximum speed raised to 120 kilometers per hour.
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| Two motorcyclists trespass on the under-construction Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
The Phan Thiet-Dau Giay subproject, which will be 99 kilometers long, will connect the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet section with the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway.
Costing VND12.5 trillion ($532.1 million), the expressway section is designed to have six lanes and the maximum speed of 120km an hour.
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| A truck carrying straw drives on the under-construction Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
Although the scheduled openings of the Phan Thiet-Dau Giay subproject and the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet section are April 29 and May 19, respectively, according to observations by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, many vehicles have been seen driving on these two under-construction routes, defying traffic safety and posing a threat to workers at the construction sites.
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| An ambulance drives on the under-construction Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
The intrusive vehicles include those of local people living along the routes, supercars, large displacement motorcycles, ambulances, and passenger buses, with many of them driving at high speed.
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| A passenger bus drives on the under-construction Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
More dangerously, many vehicles illegally travel on the two subprojects at night when visibility is almost zero as the lighting systems along the routes are not yet operational.
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| A group of motorcyclists take photos on the under-construction Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
As a quick fix, the contractor used large concrete blocks to cordon off some parts of the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet subproject so that workers can continue their job.
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| Vehicles run haphazardly in both directions near a roadblock placed on the under-construction Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
As a result, many vehicles trespassing on these sections are forced to find their way out of the route when reaching the roadblocks.
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| A car steers away from a roadblock placed on the under-construction Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet Expressway in Vietnam, April 2023. Photo: Duc Trong / Tuoi Tre |
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