Expansion joints on National Highway 45

The investor has just released official information regarding the incident where expansion joints on the National Highway 45 - Nghi Son expressway in Thanh Hoa province have come loose.

Regarding the incident of damaged expansion joints on the main section of the North-South Expressway, specifically the section from National Highway 45 to Nghi Son, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Director of the National Highway 45-Nghi Son project (under Project Management Board 2 - Ministry of Transport ), told the Traffic Newspaper that immediately after receiving the information, the unit implemented two measures simultaneously.

Specifically, the Board has requested the construction contractor to fulfill its warranty responsibilities as per the signed contract, promptly repair the damaged expansion joint to ensure safe traffic flow, and send officials to the site to work with relevant parties, assess the cause, and clarify responsibilities.

Vehicle owners have reported that expansion joints on the National Highway 45 - Nghi Son expressway have come loose.

"According to initial assessments, in recent times, especially during the peak of the Lunar New Year, the volume of traffic on the route has increased significantly, including heavy-duty vehicles (over 10 tons), causing the expansion joint bolts to loosen. During the project maintenance, the construction unit discovered and addressed the problem at the expansion joint, but a complete solution has not yet been found," said a representative of Project Management Board 2, while affirming that the unit will work with the supervisory consultant, design consultant, and contractor to come up with a definitive solution.

"The parties are considering replacing the expansion joints. Project Management Board 2 will request the units to conduct a comprehensive review of all items on the route, including the locations of the expansion joints, to ensure absolute safety and quality for people traveling on the road," Mr. Quynh shared.

According to a representative from Project Management Board 2, to minimize the impact on traffic on the expressway during repairs to the damaged expansion joints, the investor will propose that the contractor implement one of two options: the contractor will ensure traffic safety themselves, or they will hire a road operation unit to ensure traffic safety remotely.

Regarding the above incident, Mr. Tran Quang Thanh, Director of Road Management Area II, said that during the recent Lunar New Year holiday, the volume of traffic on the National Highway 45 - Nghi Son expressway increased dramatically compared to normal days.

"According to data from the Hoang Mai toll station on National Highway 1, which runs parallel to the expressway, the number of vehicles on National Highway 1 during Tet (Lunar New Year) decreased by 60% compared to the same period last year. Vehicles tend to shift to the National Highway 45 - Nghi Son expressway because the expressway does not yet collect road usage fees," Mr. Thanh said.

Furthermore, Mr. Thanh stated that the unit discovered that the expansion joint on the northern abutment of the Nhon River bridge (Km341+182) on the QL45 - Nghi Son expressway had burst at 6:30 PM on February 6th.

Immediately afterwards, the Road Management Area II directed VEC O&M to temporarily patch the area using cement-mixed crushed stone aggregate. The Road Management Area III also simultaneously informed the Vietnam Road Administration to report to the Ministry of Transport to direct the investor to develop a plan for handling the situation.

On the evening of February 6th, a driver reported to the press that four vehicles had their tires burst while driving through the expansion joint; fortunately, there were no casualties.

The National Highway 45 - Nghi Son expressway project spans over 43km through Thanh Hoa province. In its phased construction, the expressway was built with a limited 4-lane design (roadbed width of 17m). The project was inaugurated and put into operation in October 2023 and handed over to the Vietnam Road Administration for management and operation in August 2024.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/khe-co-gian-บน-ql45-nghi-son-bi-bung-bat-chu-dau-tu-noi-gi-192250207131820054.htm