Ensuring transportation facilitates development.

TIMELY REPAIRS

In mid-July 2024, a section of National Highway 16 passing through Doc Chuoi, Chau Kim commune, Que Phong district, suffered serious subsidence. The deepest point of subsidence was more than 6 meters below the original road surface. Immediately after the incident occurred, the Department of Transport implemented several safety measures such as setting up checkpoints to prohibit vehicles from passing through, constructing temporary roads for traffic, and relocating residents in the affected area to safe locations.

The Que Phong Road Management Unit also mobilized many machines, equipment, and reserve materials to handle any situations that might arise. However, the worrying aspect at that time was that the geological structure was shifting about 200 meters below the subsidence area.

According to the Que Phong district authorities, six households in Chau Kim commune live in the subsided area. Local authorities have urged residents to evacuate and move their belongings to a safe place. On July 20th, a delegation from the Vietnam Road Administration, along with experts and the Nghe An Department of Transport, visited the landslide site to conduct an on-site inspection and discuss solutions for a thorough remediation.

Following a field survey, representatives from the Vietnam Road Administration and leading experts offered suggestions for addressing the landslide at Chuoi Slope on National Highway 16. The Nghe An Department of Transport quickly coordinated with relevant agencies and local authorities to conduct a preliminary assessment; from there, they evaluated and researched to develop a suitable and comprehensive solution.

Overcoming challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions, the forces have made strenuous efforts to construct a new temporary road at the subsidence point on National Highway 16. The new temporary road is approximately 160m long and 4m wide, located about 13m from the old temporary road towards the embankment. This location has a solid soil foundation, and the authorities have been carrying out gabion retaining walls, earth filling, and road compaction for the past month to complete the project.

Although the new temporary road has been opened to traffic, it currently only allows small trucks, cars, and motorbikes to pass through; tractor-trailers and vehicles weighing over 7 tons are still required to take a detour through Quy Chau district. As for the old temporary road, due to its proximity to the subsidence point and its unsafe condition, the authorities have barricaded it.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Son, Head of the Que Phong Road Transport Department, said: "This new temporary road is of great importance, helping people in the area to travel more conveniently, no longer having to take detours as before. In addition, the road will become a service road, facilitating the movement of machinery, raw materials, and supplies if, in the future, the Ministry of Transport and Nghe An province have a plan for long-term repair of National Highway 16 at this subsidence point."

INTEGRATED SOLUTION

To contribute to ensuring traffic safety, the Road Maintenance Management Board of the Nghe An Department of Transport is actively focusing on the maintenance and repair of national highways before the rainy season. The management of transportation infrastructure is being strengthened with many synchronized solutions to improve the efficiency of the transportation infrastructure system.

The Department has issued over 200 documents to direct, manage, guide, and supervise the work of managing transportation infrastructure. It has strengthened regular maintenance on routes, focusing on directing the handling and repair of damaged areas; accelerating the progress and improving the quality of periodic repair projects on entrusted national highways and provincial roads, ensuring convenient and safe travel for the people.

Simultaneously, the Nghe An Department of Transport continues to implement the construction of transitional projects under the 2023 maintenance plan; conducts bidding for 2024; and develops a maintenance plan for the national highway system in 2025 to submit to the Ministry of Transport.

The Department also coordinated with the Department of Finance to develop a plan for maintaining provincial roads using local budget funds, which was approved by the Nghe An Provincial People's Council in Resolution No. 28/2021/NQ-HĐND dated December 9, 2021; and submitted it to the Provincial People's Committee to report to the Provincial People's Council for approval of the list of local road maintenance projects supported by the central government budget.

In the first six months of 2024, the estimated budget for managing and maintaining roads under the Nghe An Department of Transport was 60.6 billion VND. Currently, the focus is on accelerating the progress of periodic repair projects on national highways and organizing bidding for periodic repair projects on provincial roads.

The Department directs the Road Maintenance Management Board to organize inspections and instruct construction units to effectively implement traffic safety measures, supplement and repair traffic signal systems and road signs, trim tree branches that obstruct visibility; add traffic signs, paint road markings, install reflective markers, reflective studs, guideposts, soft guardrails, and manage road corridors...

"In the coming time, the Department of Transport will continue to direct the Road Maintenance Management Board, in coordination with specialized departments and relevant units, to conduct on-site inspections of each road; review and develop road maintenance plans that are close to reality. Along with maintenance and repair, during the rainy season, the Department directs its subordinate units to deploy permanent forces to handle all situations that arise, ensuring smooth traffic flow and meeting the travel needs of the people, avoiding unfortunate incidents," added Mr. Hoang Phu Hien, Director of the Nghe An Department of Transport.

Thanh Le