A "death trap" sinkhole has appeared on National Highway 18.

The scene of the sinkhole on National Highway 18, in the Dai Yen ward of Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province.

At approximately 11:00 AM on August 21st, on National Highway 18, near the Dai Yen Multi-Purpose Gymnasium in Dai Yen Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province - a section of road belonging to the Dai Duong BOT project (Ha Long-Uong Bi section) - a sinkhole appeared measuring nearly 3 square meters, 0.8 meters wide, and over 3 meters long.

The incident caused a traffic jam lasting nearly an hour on the road from Ha Long to Uong Bi.

Mr. Tran Chien, Head of the Dai Duong BOT Maintenance and Operation Board under Dai Duong BOT Joint Stock Company - the investor of the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 18 section Uong Bi-Ha Long, said that the sinkhole on the road surface is about 3 square meters, but extends deep into the ground.

The toll station staff temporarily erected warning barriers, preventing vehicles from passing through the area due to the weak and dangerous road surface; at the same time, they temporarily diverted traffic to the lane heading from Uong Bi to Ha Long.

Mr. Tran Chien added that, for the time being, this afternoon, the unit will temporarily fill the sinkhole to allow vehicle traffic. Regarding long-term handling, they will have to report to the relevant authorities for a specific plan.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thien Vuong, Chief of the Office of the Traffic Safety Committee of Quang Ninh province, the authorities have allowed the removal of the rigid median barrier in the middle of the road to divert traffic, permitting vehicles traveling from Ha Long to Uong Bi to use the lane heading from Uong Bi to Ha Long.

The Traffic Safety Committee, along with Dai Yen ward authorities, deployed personnel to monitor and direct traffic. By 1 PM that day, traffic was flowing smoothly.

According to locals at the scene, the sinkhole was initially less than 1 square meter in size, but later it widened and cut across National Highway 18, stretching over 3 meters. A stream of water was flowing beneath the sinkhole.

Authorities have intervened and are currently seeking solutions to mitigate the consequences.

The project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 18, section Uong Bi-Ha Long, commenced in October 2011 with a total investment of over 2,800 billion VND. Spanning over 30km and featuring 4 lanes, it was built under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model and opened to traffic on May 18, 2014.

However, shortly thereafter, on May 25, 2014, the Department of Construction Management and Quality of Transport Works, in coordination with the State Inspection Department for Construction Quality, refused to accept the project and did not allow it to be put into operation for toll collection, due to the discovery of damage, with many sections of the road surface showing deep ruts from vehicle wheels.

The Ministry of Transport has requested Dai Duong BOT Joint Stock Company to urgently determine the cause and thoroughly repair the aforementioned damage to ensure safe operation and traffic. At the same time, toll collection for the project can only be implemented after the repair work is completed. By October 6, 2014, the company had completed the repair of the wheel tracks.

VN (according to VNA)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/xuat-appear-ho-tu-than-tren-quoc-lo-18-390916.html