The main road in Dung Quat is destroyed, driving and praying at the same time

Dung Quất - Ảnh 1. — It is unimaginable that this is a vital road connecting to the international port in Dung Quat Economic Zone - Photo: TRAN MAI

National Highway 24C, the main route leading to Dung Quat Economic Zone, is seriously degraded, especially the section passing through Tuyet Diem 1 village (Van Tuong commune, Quang Ngai). The road surface is peeling, sinking deeply, and is full of potholes, putting people and drivers in danger every time they pass by.

Potholes that look like ponds

The most serious section is about 500m leading to Gemadept Dung Quat international port. This place is full of deep holes, many large water stagnant spots that make it easy for motorbikes to slip and fall, and trucks and containers have to constantly avoid it.

Chaos often occurs, especially when large trucks line up to enter the port.

Housed right on the street, Ms. Pham Thi Le (45 years old) said her family always lives in fear. "There are potholes a meter deep, cars keep falling into them and have to call for help. Trucks run day and night, everyone is scared. A temporary patch will only last a few days and then it will break again," she said.

According to Ms. Le, after the storms, the already degraded road surface was even more severely damaged.

Major Vu Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Chief of Dung Quat Border Guard Station, said that this road section has almost lost its load-bearing capacity. The continuous overloading of vehicles has caused the road surface to rapidly break down, affecting the tasks of the authorities.

"When an incident occurs that requires emergency response, traveling on this route is very difficult. We hope to soon have a solution," said Mr. Tuan.

Not only is the road unsafe, it is also often congested during rush hour. Hundreds of trucks occupy most of the road, putting small vehicles in a dangerous position.

To limit risks, Van Tuong Commune Police regularly arrange patrols, connect security camera systems and propagate businesses to comply with load capacity.

However, according to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duy Hung - Deputy Head of Van Tuong Commune Police, ensuring traffic order is still very difficult when the infrastructure has not been improved.

Dung Quất - Ảnh 2. — Rocks were poured onto the road to temporarily patch deep potholes - Photo: TRAN MAI

Dung Quất - Ảnh 3. — National highway like fish pond - Photo: TRAN MAI

Need early investment for Dung Quat to develop to its full advantage

Currently, the entire Dung Quat Economic Zone has nearly 50km of internal roads, most of which were built since the economic zone was formed, are small in scale, have unsynchronized connections and are now seriously degraded.

Every year, the economic zone has to "shoulder" tens of millions of tons of goods. Especially when many large, billion-dollar projects are implemented, the demand for transporting materials and equipment increases sharply, causing the road system to quickly become overloaded.

Mr. Tran Van Man - Deputy Head of the Management Board of Dung Quat Economic Zone and Industrial Parks of Quang Ngai province - said that the annual maintenance budget is only enough for temporary repairs.

"Deteriorated transport infrastructure is directly affecting business operations and investment attraction. If roads are not guaranteed, investors will have to consider," Mr. Man emphasized.

The management board has recommended that the province prioritize capital allocation to upgrade key routes, including National Highway 24C through Tuyet Diem 1. According to Mr. Man, without synchronous investment, traffic will continue to be the biggest bottleneck of Dung Quat Economic Zone.

The prompt repair of serious damage points will not only help transport goods safely and smoothly, but also ensure livelihoods and traffic safety and order for people living along the route. This is an urgent requirement for Dung Quat to continue to develop sustainably and maintain its role as an economic locomotive of the province and the region.