The Lien Khuong - Prenn Expressway is about 19km long, connecting National Highway 20 from Duc Trong District to the foot of Prenn Pass (Xuan Huong - Da Lat Ward, Lam Dong Province). The route is designed with 2 lanes in each direction, with a traffic speed of 60 - 90km/h.
In 2024, Lam Dong Department of Transport (now Lam Dong Department of Construction) proposed that Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee invest in the residential access road project along the Lien Khuong - Prenn expressway with a total cost of more than 279 billion VND.
According to the proposal, the service road is about 10km long, built according to the standards of a grade IV mountainous road, with a design speed of 40km/h. However, up to now, the project has not been implemented, causing many difficulties for the travel, living and production needs of local people.
Actual records show that, although the authorities have installed signs prohibiting motorbikes, many people still drive motorbikes up and down, despite the danger.
Not only that, some people also demolished concrete items on the median strip to open crossings to production areas.
Mr. Tran Van Binh - a resident of Hiep Thanh commune - said: "We understand that crossing the highway is very dangerous, but because there is no service road, we are helpless. I just hope the authorities will soon build a residential road for people to conveniently travel, live and produce."
Sharing the same concern, Ms. Do Thi Lien (residing in Hiep Thanh commune) shared: "Because we had to cross the highway to get to the garden and go home, many accidents have occurred. Last week, a motorcyclist was hit and killed by a car.
According to local people, if the highway has a residential road, no one will choose to ride a motorbike into the highway because the danger level is very high.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Tiep - Head of the Traffic Police Department of Lam Dong Police - said: To ensure safety, the unit regularly deploys forces to patrol and strictly handle violations on the Lien Khuong - Prenn Expressway. However, because there are many cases where people do not have access to the production area, sometimes I just stop at reminding and advising people.
"All cases of motorbike drivers entering the highway are violations. In the coming time, we will direct officers and soldiers to increase patrols and controls to strictly handle related violations. At the same time, the Department and the Traffic Safety Committee will continue to recommend the Provincial People's Committee to consider the shortcomings to have a direction for handling in the coming time", Lieutenant Colonel Tiep emphasized.
