Addressing the landslide situation at Cho Slope, on National Highway 7.

National Highway 7A connects from National Highway 1A, starting at Dien Chau town, passing through the districts of Yen Thanh, Do Luong, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, and then to the Nam Can border gate, with a length of 220km. National Highway 7 not only facilitates the exploitation of potential and socio-economic development in these localities, but also serves as a route for transporting import and export goods from neighboring Laos.

However, because the route runs through high mountainous districts, with many steep sections and treacherous curves, and especially many locations at risk of landslides, traffic congestion occurs during the rainy season. In particular, the Chó slope at km 110+850, in the section passing through Lạng Khê commune, Con Cuông district, frequently experiences landslides from the mountainside whenever there is heavy rain, causing serious traffic congestion and posing a significant risk of traffic accidents.

Local residents, especially drivers who regularly transport goods through the Chó slope, live in constant fear of landslides. In fact, many vehicles have been stranded on Chó slope due to landslides, requiring authorities to mobilize resources for assistance.

Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, said that during the rainy season, landslides frequently occur at the Cho Slope location, involving large amounts of soil and rocks, causing localized traffic congestion. Whenever a landslide occurs there, the district's Disaster Prevention and Control Command has to deploy security forces to stand guard and ensure traffic safety for the people.

The reason is that the embankment on the uphill side is a high mountain, and the soil on the cliff face is weak, making it prone to landslides when it rains. Although the authorities promptly address each landslide, a sustainable, long-term solution is needed to prevent landslides and ensure traffic safety on National Highway 7A.

Speaking with reporters, a representative from the Road Management Department 2 stated: Given the frequent and serious landslides at the Chó slope on National Highway 7A, the Transport Department has launched an emergency project to repair the landslide on the embankment at Chó slope, in the Con Cuông district, with a total budget of 2.5 billion VND.

Accordingly, the remediation plan includes five items, including: carrying out excavation and landslide treatment; and reducing the load on the positive slope of the embankment with a volume of approximately over 50,000 m³.³; Restore the damaged gabion retaining wall at the foot of the embankment; Replace the 2 x 2m, 11m long horizontal drainage culvert; Repair and supplement the traffic safety system on the construction section.

The project is expected to be completed in November 2024. During these sunny days, the construction team is divided into two groups working in shifts with 10 vehicles including excavators, cranes, trucks, etc. However, the current construction process is still facing many difficulties, as it is being carried out on National Highway 7, which is currently in operation and has a high volume of traffic. Therefore, construction must be carried out while simultaneously ensuring the safety of passing vehicles.

In addition, because construction takes place during the rainy season, the soil frequently becomes soft and muddy, often overflowing onto the road surface, making cleanup difficult and hindering traffic flow.

Furthermore, the project initially faced difficulties with land compensation and clearance because the excavation area fell within the garden land of three local households, affecting the construction progress. However, the contractor and local authorities have now coordinated to complete the land compensation and clearance work and are accelerating the project's progress to ensure its early completion and traffic safety on the route during the rainy season.