Drivers worry about crossing the highway
On the afternoon of October 13, a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper noted that along the Cam Lo - La Son expressway, especially at km2+900, km4+800, km12+550... there are many points where the road surface is bumpy and slippery. At the first section of the route through Hieu Giang commune, the road surface has appeared to be extended, many places have worn balls, making vehicles easily slip when traveling at high speed.
Mr. Tran Vu (from Lam Dong), a truck driver carrying goods on the Lam Dong - Hanoi route, said that the Cam Lo - La Son expressway has not been put into use for long but many sections have deteriorated.
"The road is narrow, and there are places that are bumpy and slippery. Once I saw a cow getting lost through the fence onto the highway, which was very dangerous. Every time I pass here, I have to slow down to ensure safety" - Mr. Vu shared.
Similarly, driver Nguyen Tan Dat (residing in Khanh Hoa) also often has to " close his eyes" when driving through Quang Tri. "There are places where the road surface is covered with oil, if we do not reduce the speed, it is easy to lose control, especially when it rains" - Mr. Dat said.
In addition to the bumpy, slippery road surface, some sections of the highway protection fence were also damaged and cut down. At Km12+550, the steel wire fence was widened, creating a large opening that allowed cattle to enter the expressway area.
Need to immediately overcome shortcomings to ensure traffic safety
The Highway Traffic Police Team No. 5 (Department 6, Traffic Police Department) conducted a field survey on the Cam Lo - La Son route through Quang Tri and discovered many potential problems that could cause accidents.
According to this unit, the road surface in many locations does not ensure the necessary grease for tire wheels, leading to a slippery phenomenon. Some locations have deep, long lines, causing the wheels to deviate and easily lose control.
The Traffic Police Team of Expressway No. 5 has issued a document requesting relevant units to urgently re-evaluate the technical standards of the Cam Lo - La Son route, and at the same time have a plan to immediately overcome the shortcomings.
Major Nguyen Nguyen Tuan - officer of the Traffic Police Team of Expressway No. 5 said that due to existing shortcomings on the expressway, this unit has issued leaflets to propagate to drivers to pay attention when traveling to ensure safety.
The Cam Lo - La Son Expressway is a vital traffic route connecting Quang Tri with Thua Thien Hue, expected to contribute to promoting economic development in the Central region. However, it has not been put into use for long, the traffic density is not high, but in reality many sections of the road have shown signs of deterioration.
It is known that the Cam Lo - La Son expressway was put into operation at the end of 2022 with a total length of more than 98.3km, of which the section through Quang Tri province is 37.3km long. In the first phase, the project is invested with a scale of 2 lanes, a roadbed width of 12m (the overtaking sections alone have a scale of 4 lanes, the roadbed width is 23m.
In early April 2024, the Vietnam Road Administration issued a decision to ban passenger cars with more than 30 seats, sleeper buses, and heavy trucks from traveling on the Cam Lo - La Son expressway. Previously, after half a year of operation, at the end of May 2023, the road surface of the Cam Lo - La Son expressway appeared as a road with road surging and the wheel strips had to be repaired.
