On November 23, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Phuc Nhan - Director of the Department of Construction of Quang Ngai province said that due to prolonged floods, there were 50 landslides on National Highways, provincial roads and roads managed by the Department of Construction.
The National Highway 24 route alone has sunk, the road surface on the negative slope at Km76+790. At Km112+100, half of the roadbed is eroded, the road surface is 120m long, the width of the eroded road is calculated from the foot of the positive slope of about 5.5m; the highest erosion location is about 1.2m above the general flat surface, if the landslide continues, the possibility of road congestion is very high.
Mr. Nhan said that the Department of Construction has proactively organized the repair of landslides; prepared forces, vehicles, and materials to immediately handle landslides, fallen trees, promptly fix incidents, and ensure smooth traffic on the routes assigned for management.
On National Highway 24 alone, the authorities cleared the road before 12 noon today. National Highways were eroded with an estimated volume of about 3,000 m3; provincial roads and roads managed by the Department of Construction with an estimated volume of about 47,000 m3. The estimated value of damage on National Highways, provincial roads and routes managed by the Department of Construction is about 15 billion VND.
According to Mr. Nhan, in the immediate future, the Department of Construction has directed contractors to carry out regular road management and maintenance work, proactively advance funds, mobilize machinery and equipment to be present at the site day and night to carry out the clearing of landslides, cut down fallen trees, and open one lane of traffic at locations of traffic jams on National Highways, provincial roads and roads managed by the Department of Construction in the fastest time.
At noon on November 23, Mr. Do Minh Son, Head of National Highway 24 Management Department, said that after many hours of efforts to implement measures to handle the landslide at Km112+200, by 12:00 on the same day, National Highway 24 had been temporarily opened to traffic. Accordingly, after a landslide with a volume of rock and soil reaching nearly 400 m3 on National Highway 24, Kon Tum Traffic Construction and Management Joint Stock Company dispatched 2 excavators and 6 trucks to handle the rock and soil from both directions.
By noon, the road had been temporarily opened to traffic, and vehicles could now pass under the guidance of the authorities. However, Km112+200 is a dangerous landslide location, with a volume of about 100,000 m3 of rock and soil from the top of the hill likely to slide onto the road, risking further disrupting the artery connecting the East and West of Quang Ngai province. Therefore, the authorities have issued a recommendation for people and vehicles to limit traveling through National Highway 24.
