It has become a nightmare for road users to drive on a road section in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, as the road has been full of potholes for months.

The Hoang Van Bon-Thien Tan road section is part of the Road No. 768 project developed by Sonadezi Chau Duc JSC under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format, according to the transport authority of Dong Nai.

A BOT contract is a financing model commonly employed for large projects, particularly infrastructure initiatives facilitated through public-private partnerships.

In the BOT scheme, a public entity initially grants a concession to a private firm, allowing them to construct and operate the project.

Following a predefined period, control of the project is reverted to the public entity.

The 6km-long route starts from the National Highway 1 section running through the provincial capital city of Bien Hoa to Road No. 768 in Vinh Cuu District. 

It is also linked with neighboring Binh Duong Province’s Bac Tan Uyen District via the Thu Bien Bridge.

Therefore, it records a high traffic volume every day.

In late November 2022, the project developer renovated the road section in order to resume toll collection on the route, which later deteriorated and was pockmarked with many potholes.

Road users have had to experience back-breaking rides due to the poor road conditions, which even get worse when it rains heavily, leading to many motorcyclists falling victim to waterlogged potholes.

Local inhabitants repeatedly requested local authorities to repair the road, which has faced severe deterioration since July last year, but nothing has been done up to now, said Pham Van Hoang, a 74-year-old resident in Bien Hoa.

Hoang added that several motorcyclists fall off their vehicles every night when passing by this road.

Another local resident in Bien Hoa, Hoang Duc Minh, also observed numerous motorcyclists falling in front of trucks. Fortunately, no one sustained serious injuries.

Minh proposed that authorities urge the project developer to upgrade the road to ensure the safety of road users.

The Dong Nai Department of Transport and the administration of Bien Hoa had earlier asked Sonadezi Chau Duc to begin repair work on the road, but the developer has yet to make any move.

In late December last year, the provincial administration of Dong Nai wrote to the developer asking it to urgently carry out maintenance on road sections under the Road No. 768 BOT project.

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