'Potato bed' road surface on the 2,000 billion VND road in Ha Tinh

The Ha Tinh coastal road (DT.547) is 120km long, starting from Cua Hoi Bridge (Nghi Xuan district) to the intersection with National Highway 12C at Vung Ang Port (Ky Anh town). The project passes through 6 localities in Ha Tinh province, including 5 districts: Nghi Xuan, Loc Ha, Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh and Ky Anh town.

Of the 120 km of the Ha Tinh coastal road, 33 km overlap with sections already invested in by projects in three localities (Loc Ha, Thach Ha, and Ky Anh town). The remaining 87 km will be newly constructed in two phases (the investor for phase 1 is the Ha Tinh Department of Transport, and for phase 2 is the Provincial Project Management Board for Transport Works) with a total investment of over 2,000 billion VND from the central government budget and a portion of the provincial budget.

Of the three sections in phase 2, the Dan Truong – Thach Bang section and the Cam Linh – Ky Xuan section were completed before 2021. The Ky Xuan – Ky Ninh section was just completed and handed over in December 2022.

As a project intended to serve socio-economic development and strengthen connectivity between the South Nghe An - North Ha Tinh and South Ha Tinh - North Quang Binh economic zones, however, shortly after being put into use, damage occurred, leaving the people frustrated.

According to VTC News reporters, along the coastal road in Ha Tinh province, specifically the section passing through Nguyen Hue village, Ky Xuan commune, and Km104, Ky Ninh commune, numerous cracks and structural damage have appeared, with the road surface resembling "potato ridges".

In the section passing through Ky Xuan commune, many drivers and residents disregard the danger and drive against the flow of traffic to avoid the potholes. The damaged section of road is located right on a curve, making accidents very likely.

The potholes lie exposed on the road surface, but there are no warning signs from the authorities.

Notably, at Km104, the section passing through Ky Ninh commune was recently scraped and repaved by the construction unit in February 2023. At the time of repair, the road had only been handed over for more than a month, and now it has deteriorated again.

The soil and sand beneath the road surface are exposed. In many sections, a light touch with the hand can easily break down its structure.

At kilometer 12, the section passing through Nghi Xuan district also shows alarming signs of road deterioration.

Observations at the section passing through Yen Thong village, Xuan Yen commune (Nghi Xuan district) show that many large container trucks travel on this road. A large amount of crushed stone is churned up by the wheels all over the road surface, making it very dangerous for people to travel.

The section passing through Cam Linh commune, Cam Xuyen district, is also riddled with potholes. During rush hour, people have to maneuver to avoid these "traps" to get home.

The potholes on this road are also a major cause of traffic accidents. During rush hour, people have to dodge both trucks and potholes.

The frequent passage of heavy-duty vehicles is also a reason why the road is deteriorating so severely.

Regarding the incident, in response to VTC News reporters, the leader of the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works in Ha Tinh province stated that the unit has been informed of the damage to the road and will send personnel to survey and repair the damage in the coming days following this monsoon season.

“Currently, the coastal road section from Ky Xuan to Ky Ninh is still under warranty (until April 2024). The reason for the road's deterioration is the large volume of heavy trucks. As for the section near Cua Hoi Bridge (Dan Truong – Thach Bang), it needs to be renovated because many parts were completed 7 years ago, and there is currently a provincial project underway ,” the Provincial Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transportation Works further informed.

Meanwhile, Company 484, the contractor responsible for paving the asphalt at Km104 on the coastal road in Ha Tinh, stated that they are aware of the continued problems on the road. "Currently, this section is under warranty, so we will carry out repairs. The repairs will be implemented before the Lunar New Year 2024," a representative from the construction company said.

According to VTC News' investigation, the coastal road project in Ha Tinh province, specifically the Ky Xuan – Ky Ninh section, is being constructed by a consortium of Hung Cuong Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Ky Anh town, Ha Tinh province), Vinh Phuc Company Limited, and Khanh Mon Company Limited (both based in Ha Tinh city). The asphalt paving is being done by 484 Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Vinh city, Nghe An province), with an investment of 70 billion VND and scheduled for handover in December 2022.

At the end of 2023, Ha Tinh province proposed converting this road, which had received an investment of over 2 trillion VND, into a coastal national highway.

Source: https://vtc.vn/mat-duong-luong-khoai-tren-tuyen-duong-2-000-ty-o-ha-tinh-ar846352.html