Large landslide sites have only one lane open to traffic.

Overcoming landslides to clear traffic

The recent floods in late October and early November 2025, the Bach Ma area - where the La Son - Hoa Lien expressway passes through, recorded unprecedented rainfall in Vietnam, causing many locations on the route to have positive slope landslides, with rocks and soil spilling onto the road surface. Of which, there are 3 locations in the old Nam Dong district that had landslides causing traffic jams, including: Km8, Km12+300, Km14, which have been cleared and reopened to traffic. However, at the major landslide locations, only one lane has been opened to traffic so far, due to complicated weather in the localities, with heavy rain in the area. Currently, the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board is regulating traffic, organizing monitoring and further evaluation. If safety conditions are met, the route will be opened to 2 lanes in the near future.

According to the reporter, at km42, there was a serious landslide with thousands of cubic meters of rock and soil spilling onto the road, causing traffic jams for many days. Currently, the investor has mobilized human resources and machinery to clear about 3,000 cubic meters of rock and soil, opening one lane of traffic. However, this area still has the potential risk of further landslides. At some other locations, the positive slope was damaged by landslides, the construction unit had to clear all rock and soil, level them, and transport them to clear the road.

Many positive slope locations on the La Son - Hoa Lien expressway through Hue city still have the potential risk of continuing landslides.

Mr. Tran Duc Hiep, Director of the La Son - Hoa Lien Project Management Board (under the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board) said that the weather at the North - South Expressway expansion project in the East, La Son - Hoa Lien section through Hue City and Da Nang City is still complicated. Although there is no longer heavy rain like in the past few days, there is still scattered rain, causing the soil and rocks on the slope to be saturated with water, posing many potential risks of further landslides.

At the points where landslides have occurred on the route, the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board has directed construction contractors to urgently mobilize maximum resources, equipment, and machinery to carry out cleanup day and night to ensure the entire route is open to traffic as soon as possible. By October 31, the project had opened one lane to traffic. However, due to the complicated weather, the risk of landslides and positive slope rocks at the points where one lane has been opened and new locations is still very high. In addition, dense fog at night and dangerous winding terrain pose a potential risk to traffic safety for people and vehicles on the route.

Traffic flow and regulation

According to the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board, implementing the direction of the Vietnam Road Administration, the investor has notified relevant agencies and units about the temporary traffic organization plan at the La Son - Hoa Lien Expressway Project. Accordingly, the sections Km50+700 - Km50+800, Km41+450 - Km41+550 and Km42+700 - Km42+800, will initially be opened to one lane, with 24/7 traffic control forces on duty, and monitored for about 10 days (from November 10 to 20, 2025). After the monitoring period, if safety conditions are assessed, the route will be opened to two lanes.

The authorities have also regulated, divided traffic, and banned passenger cars and trucks on 6 axles from traveling on the route, starting from 6:00 a.m. on November 10 to 6:00 a.m. on November 20, and only allowing vehicles to travel on the route from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. After that time, the Project Management Board will evaluate and have a plan to reopen the road to normal traffic. In addition, this unit also added prohibition signs and direction signs at intersections and connecting routes from National Highway 1 to the expressway, according to the investor's traffic division plan.

The Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board also informed people and vehicles to proactively choose suitable and safe routes and requested the Traffic Police Department and local police to direct the traffic police force to coordinate in guiding, reminding, and regulating people and vehicles not to enter the above-mentioned routes.

Mr. Nguyen Vu Quy, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board, said that up to now, there have been no specific statistics on infrastructure damage caused by landslides on the above sections. In the immediate future, the relevant parties will record the landslide locations and estimate the volume, focusing on handling and reopening the route to ensure traffic safety. After that, the investor will invite a design consultant to survey, evaluate, and supplement, possibly reinforce the locations or just clear rocks and soil and create an even slope for the slope in the landslide area. The Project Management Board will compare the regulations on emergency disaster response and temporary storm and flood relief to review and implement according to the regulations.


Article and photos: HA NGUYEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/xay-dung-giao-thong/no-luc-thong-tuyen-hai-lan-xe-cao-toc-la-son-hoa-lien-159964.html