Highway 14B road surface is severely damaged

Every time a large vehicle passes by, dust flies up into the sky. Photo: THANH LAN

Potential traffic insecurity

These days, traveling on National Highway 14B, from Tuy Loan intersection to Dai Loc commune border has become a nightmare for traffic participants. The road surface has seriously degraded, full of potholes, many sections are torn apart, deep water, vehicles have to constantly avoid, while trucks, dump trucks, and container trucks run continuously, making people frustrated and afraid of accidents happening at any time.

Many severely damaged spots include the intersection with Quang Da Bridge, Hoa Khuong Crossroads, Tuy Loan Bridge, Long Bridge, etc. In particular, the intersection with Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway has hundreds of large and small potholes on the road surface. Many sections of the road surface have completely lost their asphalt layer, revealing sharp gravel. Every time a large vehicle passes by, water splashes everywhere, creating dust when it is sunny, and when it rains, water stagnates in long streaks, making the road slippery.

“If you are not careful when riding a motorbike, you can easily fall into a pothole and fall. What is more dangerous is that large vehicles moving at high speeds can make motorcyclists panic and easily stagger when having to avoid potholes or stagnant water. Just one sudden brake or one wrong turn can cause an accident,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tien, a resident of Hoa Vang commune.

Mr. Tien said that the road in front of his house had had at least three incidents of motorcyclists slipping and falling within just one month. This situation has been going on for many years but has yet to be resolved.

One of the reasons for the rapid deterioration of the route is that National Highway 14B plays a vital role in connecting Da Nang city with the Central Highlands provinces. In addition to the large volume of trucks and container trucks carrying goods, dump trucks carrying soil, rocks, and materials for the renovation and upgrading project being implemented on the route, causing the already weak roadbed to be plowed even more heavily.

It is worth mentioning that along the national highway, each section of construction is unfinished, the ground is cluttered with machinery, materials, and sand and rock storage areas encroaching on the edge of the roadway. The barriers are crudely erected in some places, and in others they are displaced or deformed due to collisions, making the boundary between the construction area and the traffic area almost unclear.

In many sections, the construction unit has dug up the road surface but has not finished it yet, leaving deep grooves and uneven road surfaces, making it easy for motorcyclists to skid. Some sections have warning posts, but at night the lack of light is quite dangerous.

Mr. Do Van Hung, a driver on the Dai Loc - Da Nang route, said that it normally takes 40 minutes to get there. Since the road was damaged and under construction, it takes more than an hour, especially at night, when unexpected situations are likely to occur.

Many sections under construction have damaged the road surface. Photo: THANH LAN

People hope the project will be completed soon.

Many residents said they had repeatedly complained about the deterioration of the road surface and the risk of accidents, but nothing had been done. Temporary repairs were only temporary and would only cause damage again when heavy trucks continued to use the road.

Street vendors are also affected by the dust, noise, and customers are reluctant to come. Some businesses have to close early or cover their shops with tarps, which is both unsanitary and unsightly.

Ms. Le Thi Luyen, whose house is on the street, said: “My whole family has to go back and forth on this road many times every day, I am always worried. I just hope the authorities will fix it soon so we can feel secure.”

Mr. Nguyen Tu, Ba Na commune, suggested: “We, the people, want three urgent solutions: patch and repair the road surface temporarily on severely damaged sections; limit the speed and control trucks, dump trucks, dump trucks carrying materials must be required to run at the right speed, be well covered, not run recklessly and reduce running at night. It is possible to install more warning signs, set up checkpoints during rush hours. And synchronous construction, avoid digging up the ground and leaving it there.”

According to the People's Committee of Hoa Vang Commune, the road is under construction so we hope that the project units will prioritize ensuring safety. This is a route with high traffic density, a large population and schools, and just being subjective can cause serious consequences.

It is known that the project to improve and upgrade National Highway 14B through Da Nang City (old) will start construction in November 2023 and has been approved by the Ministry of Transport (old) with a total investment of more than 788 billion VND. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.

The road surface of the highway intersection is peeling off. Photo: THANH LAN

However, currently, the construction items are still messy and unfinished... Recently, at the regular December press conference of the City People's Committee, Director of the Department of Construction Nguyen Ha Nam said that regarding the progress of the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 14B, although it is 7km long, the site clearance is complicated, with 1,182 related files in communes in the old Hoa Vang district, there are currently about 75 files that have not been handed over, expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The reasons for the delay include: site clearance problems, limited contractor capacity, and high demand for expanded land. The Department has focused on removing difficulties, supporting contractors with materials, and coordinating with the Ministry of Construction to evaluate progress.

"The Department of Finance has increased revenue to supplement capital by about 187 billion VND, which has been basically approved by the Ministry of Construction," the Director of the Department of Construction added.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/mat-duong-quoc-lo-14b-hu-hong-nang-3313809.html