Nguyen Van Linh – Nguyen Huu Tho underpass: Just temporarily patched, the road surface on both sides is still full of potholes

The contractor only installed temporary asphalt at peeling and protruding areas in the HC1 and HC2 underpasses. The surface inside the tunnel was patched roughly, and many newly paved areas have begun to peel off, creating concave and convex patches. More importantly, both sides of the road leading to the tunnel – especially the Nguyen Van Linh section from Highway 50 to Highway 1 – are still full of potholes, stagnant water, and cracked asphalt, making traveling through this area very dangerous, especially at night or when it rains.

Báo Sài Gòn Giải phóng•05/10/2025

After Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper reported the situation of "Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho underpass appearing densely with potholes after only 9 months of use", the Management Board of Investment and Construction of Traffic Works of Ho Chi Minh City - the investor - requested contractors and consultants to immediately fix it according to the warranty responsibility. The investor requested to remove the damaged asphalt layer, reinforce the foundation, and re-pave the entire surface; for severely damaged areas, the entire foundation and road surface structure will be replaced. Maintenance, repair and quality control of materials and construction will also be tightened.

5chắp va.jpg — The roadbed in the tunnel has been patched roughly, and many newly paved areas have begun to peel off, creating uneven patches. Photo: QUOC HUNG

The roadbed in the tunnel has been patched roughly, and many newly paved areas have begun to peel off, creating uneven patches. Photo: QUOC HUNG

According to the records, the contractor only installed temporary asphalt at peeling and protruding areas in the two underpasses HC1 and HC2. The surface inside the tunnel was patched roughly, and many newly paved areas have begun to peel off, creating concave and convex patches. More importantly, both sides of the road leading to the tunnel - especially the Nguyen Van Linh section from Highway 50 to Highway 1 - are still full of potholes, stagnant water, and cracked asphalt, making traveling through this area very dangerous, especially at night or when it rains.

Mr. Vo Cuong Quoc, a technology car driver who often passes through this area, was upset: “I drive here every day, there are potholes everywhere. They only patched a little bit in the tunnel, but left the people to suffer outside. My car has had two flat tires due to potholes. This temporary patching will only break down again in a few weeks.” Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu (living in Nha Be district) shared: “There are so many potholes that I have to constantly avoid them. Once, my motorbike braked suddenly because it fell into a hole and almost fell. They said they were fixing it, but looking around, it was just a hasty patch. The road surface is still bumpy, both ugly and dangerous. If it is not fixed completely, there will be accidents.”

Both sides of Nguyen Van Linh Street are still full of dangerous potholes. Photo: QUOC HUNG

Many residents living near the underpass area also believe that the construction unit is irresponsible in maintaining and fixing problems. Although the project has been in use for less than a year, the road surface has already deteriorated. “People pay taxes and expect better infrastructure, but now they are afraid to go through the underpass. It cannot be called a modern project when the road surface is full of holes and peeling asphalt like this,” said Nguyen Quoc Tuan, a resident of Tan Hung ward.

Nguyen Van Linh Street is full of dangerous potholes. Photo: QUOC HUNG

According to the representative of the Project Management Board, the cause of the damage is due to the high density of vehicles, especially heavy trucks, along with the effects of the weather. The investor has requested the contractor to remove the damaged asphalt concrete layer, reinforce the roadbed and re-asphalt the entire tunnel surface. However, the Nguyen Van Linh street on both sides of the tunnel is under the responsibility of the Southern Management Board, so comprehensive repairs have not yet been implemented.

The Nguyen Van Linh - Nguyen Huu Tho tunnel project started in 2020, and after many delays, it was put into use in early 2025. The project has a total length of about 456m for each tunnel, and is expected to solve the serious traffic congestion in the South of Ho Chi Minh City. However, after only 9 months of operation, the road surface has been severely damaged, especially in the area outside the tunnel.

While the investor affirmed that it would “handle the problem as soon as possible”, the reality at the scene showed that the repairs were only temporary and did not ensure traffic safety. People want the relevant units to quickly intervene, carry out comprehensive repairs, re-examine the quality of materials and construction processes, so that the project is worthy of the initial investment and expectations.

>> Some images recorded on the morning of October 5. Photo: QUOC HUNG