Rocks and soil are scattered after nearly 3 months of landslides
On September 22, 2023, the route connecting Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway to Sa Pa was officially put into operation after 5 years of construction.
The route helps shorten the journey from the old Lao Cai city to Sa Pa by about 7 km, reducing travel time by 20 minutes and avoiding many dangerous turns.
However, heavy rain lasting from the night of June 30 to the morning of July 1 caused many landslides on Provincial Road 155 (Lao Cai - Sa Pa).
In particular, the section at Km12+600, National Highway 4D - location of Lao Cai - Sa Pa BOT Toll Station - was buried by rocks and soil, causing traffic disruption and damage to many construction items.
In mid-September, reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper were present at the scene to continue recording the scene of devastation when thousands of cubic meters of soil and rock spilled down to the toll station, burying the area of the operator's house, toll equipment and spilled down to National Highway 4D.
However, the clearing of soil and rocks has not been implemented due to problems in compensation for crops for people.
According to the reflection, people in Ta Phin commune believe that the cause of the landslide originated from the embankment construction process, causing the production land below to be "lost", causing landslides and buried crops.
In 2024, similar landslides occurred, but compensation has not been fully implemented. Therefore, the people are determined not to let the construction unit handle the soil and rocks until there is a clear compensation plan.
Along with that, the landslide at the toll station that has not been repaired is also the reason why Mong Sen Bridge has been temporarily suspended for many months.
The landslide not only caused property damage but also interrupted traffic to Sa Pa tourist area. Therefore, many people hope that the units will soon clear the rocks and soil so that traffic can return to normal.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Duong (driver on the Hanoi - Sa Pa route) shared: "After the landslide, drivers had to take longer and longer on National Highway 4D. Not to mention, the road below is not safe during storms because landslides can flow down from above at any time".
Land reclamation in landslide areas
Recently, after the relevant agencies held a meeting with the people, they agreed on a plan to implement landslide clearance.
Talking with Lao Dong, Mr. Vu Xuan Quy - Chairman of Ta Phin Commune People's Committee - said that after departments, local authorities and people sat down to solve the problem, they came up with a plan to reclaim land in the landslide area and compensate people to overcome the landslide.
"Currently, most people agree with the plan to reclaim land and receive compensation. Therefore, we are sending people to count, measure and count the damage and recovered land area, trying to complete before September 20 to report to Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee," said the Chairman of Ta Phin Commune People's Committee.
As the unit directly exploiting the toll station, according to the leader of Lao Cai - Sa Pa BOT Investment Joint Stock Company, for nearly 3 peak months last summer when the station could not operate, while waiting for a solution, the unit lost about 6 billion VND.
"This is an impact of natural disasters and Lao Cai province has declared an emergency, so the funding source will be paid by the province, the recovered land will be handed over to the commune for management so that there will be a stable reinforcement plan later," said Mr. Nguyen Quang Luu, Deputy General Director of Lao Cai - Sa Pa BOT Investment Joint Stock Company.
