Hue: Just finished patching, the surface of National Highway 1A is damaged again

Photo caption — Potholes are deadly traps, posing a potential risk of traffic accidents on this road. Photo: Van Dung/TTXVN

Despite being temporarily patched by the authorities, the road surface peeled and deteriorated again after only a few days. This situation not only poses a risk of accidents but also raises questions about the responsibility for maintenance, repair, and management of this key national highway.

"Traps" on the highway

While clearing away the pile of asphalt debris scattered in front of his house, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (Chan May commune – Lang Co district) angrily stated that the stones had been ejected from deep potholes in the surface of National Highway 1A in front of his house. Pointing to a deep hole, he recounted that this very spot was where an accident occurred in the early morning of May Day, resulting in a young man riding a motorbike from South to North breaking his arm. Just two days ago, the potholes were "patched," but now everything is back to how it was before.

Mr. Dung lamented that initially there were just potholes, but before they could be repaired, they turned into huge craters a few days later. As a result, the road became increasingly rough and dilapidated. Heavy vehicles passing by created loud noises, causing discomfort to the residents along the road.

Living right next to the highway, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet said that every year during the rainy season, a 500-meter stretch of road in front of her shop is riddled with potholes and sinkholes. Whenever large vehicles pass by, rocks from the holes are thrown directly into the houses, causing great frustration among the residents. Many vehicles traveling at night are also prone to accidents due to poor visibility and the deep potholes.

What angered her most was that the construction company did not properly address the problem during the dry season, but instead only implemented a temporary solution by superficially filling the potholes with new material without leveling the road surface. This happened many times but did not solve the problem completely.

According to reporters, along National Highway 1A south of Hue city (the section passing through Chan May commune - Lang Co district), many deep potholes filled with water have appeared. Particularly noticeable is the section in front of the headquarters of Fire and Rescue Team Area 7 (Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department), where there are many potholes approximately 2 meters long and nearly 20 centimeters deep, revealing severely damaged and deformed road pavement.

At the intersection of National Highway 1A and the road leading to Loc Thuy Secondary School (Phu Cuong Xuyen Hamlet, Chan May Commune - Lang Co District), the road surface has severely deteriorated. A large amount of crushed stone from the subsurface has been scattered on the inner lane, posing a risk of slips and falls for passing vehicles. To ensure the safety of parents and students, teachers from Loc Thuy Secondary School must be present at the intersection regularly to assist and monitor traffic conditions.

According to Nguyen Van Tanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Chan May - Lang Co commune, the People's Committee has worked with the Lang Co Road Management Unit (Road Management Office II.5) to plan the review and repair of potholes on the national highway, to avoid endangering people during traffic. In the coming time, the commune will continue to review and identify similar potholes to promptly propose solutions for remediation.

Construction and management responsibilities

The road surface is damaged, with potholes, mudslides, and ruts appearing on sections of National Highway 1 in Hue City, from km 848+875 to km 892+700. As the managing unit, Thua Thien Hue Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company has installed a set of three traffic safety warning signs to alert vehicles passing through this section. From September 29th to October 21st, the company carried out several rounds of pothole patching using cold asphalt concrete, hot asphalt concrete, and temporary materials during the rain, covering an estimated area of 900m².

Notably, most of the damaged road surfaces and potholes are part of national highway roadbed repair projects that are still under warranty. These projects were undertaken by the following contractors: the joint venture of Minh Dat One-Member Limited Liability Company and Dong Thuan Construction Joint Stock Company (completed in 2023); Ngoc Minh Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company - UDIC (completed in 2024); and Thua Thien Hue Transportation Construction Joint Stock Company (completed in 2023).

Explaining the reasons behind this pressing issue, Mr. Tran Quang Hiet, Deputy General Director of Thua Thien Hue Road Management and Construction Joint Stock Company, stated that the most prominent reason is the heavy and continuous rainfall in the city recently. In addition, the La Son - Tuy Loan expressway and the Ho Chi Minh Highway are currently undergoing upgrades and expansion, leading to a concentration of vehicles, including heavy trucks, on the national highways, causing road surface degradation.

Mr. Tran Quang Hiet stated that using materials to repair and stabilize damaged road surfaces during rainy weather is very difficult. Years of experience in road repair have shown that there are currently no suitable materials on the market. Therefore, the company can only use temporary materials such as crushed stone aggregate and asphalt concrete for patching. However, after a day of heavy traffic and prolonged rain, the road surface peels off again.

According to observations by reporters on the morning of October 20th, many vehicles intentionally carrying overloaded construction materials were traveling on National Highway 1A south of Hue city. This is one of the reasons why the road surface is quickly being "torn up" and its lifespan reduced. Driver Nguyen Van Cuong said he was transporting goods from the former Quang Binh (now Quang Tri) to Da Nang city. Although he knew that carrying overloaded goods was against the law and caused road damage, he wanted to earn a little extra money during the loading process, so he intentionally loaded more than the permitted amount.

The recurring problem of numerous potholes on the crucial National Highway 1A over a long period of time raises concerns about the responsibility of both the project contractors and the road management unit. Residents hope that the relevant authorities will soon implement more fundamental solutions, removing the existing road surface and crushed stone base, then replacing it with a new layer to ensure the roadbed is compacted to the correct standard density. Simultaneously, authorities need to strengthen vehicle weight control and closely monitor the warranty responsibilities of the construction units, so that the highway can soon return to a safe, smooth, and sustainable state.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/hue-vua-va-xong-mat-duong-quoc-lo-1a-lai-hu-hong-20251025134305881.htm