Just a short time ago, it hit the toll station
On September 8, driver Nguyen Van Hoang was driving a container truck moving in the South - North direction. When reaching the Vung Ang - Bung expressway section, at the Bung - Van Ninh intersection, vehicles were forced to turn onto Ho Chi Minh road to return to National Highway 1 because of the regulation prohibiting vehicles over 10 tons from circulating.
After going around National Highway 1 to the end of the Vung Ang - Bung section, driver Hoang had to turn onto the highway to continue his journey to the North. This get-on-dow takes the driver hours, traveling many more kilometers unnecessarily.
Notably, even though they are forced to run around, drivers still have to go through the toll station in Phu Trach commune, Quang Tri province, causing transportation costs to increase sharply.
"We are really miserable when coming to this section, hoping to run straight to the North rather than having to go around the roundabout. It takes time, fuel, and additional fees to go through the BOT station, Mr. Hoang was upset.
Mr. Tran Van Binh - a container truck driver running the North - South route also said that when traveling in the opposite direction, he was forced to turn down from the Vung Ang intersection to avoid the section prohibiting vehicles over 10 tons.
After that, he had to run around National Highway 1 before re-entering the expressway in the Bung area. "Every afternoon there are problems. Container trucks weighing tens of tons and continuously going up and down like this not only take time but also consume fuel, road toll increases many times, Mr. Binh shared.
According to him, another inconvenience is that during the time the expressway section has not collected tolls, drivers have to pay additional fuel costs, causing transportation costs to increase.
According to many drivers, this regulation increases transportation costs, while highways are invested in to shorten routes, save time and fuel.
Temporary ban due to temporary exploitation
The Vung Ang - Bung expressway officially opened to traffic on August 28. However, the Project Management Board (Project Management Board 6 - Ministry of Transport) said that the expressway is still temporarily prohibiting trucks over 10 tons from circulating.
The reason for banning trucks over 10 tons is that this expressway has just been completed and is being temporarily put into operation, while the route's terrain conditions are difficult and complicated. Letting heavy trucks travel on the route can lead to traffic insecurity.
At both ends of the route, the management board has installed warning signs, requiring drivers who do not drive heavy trucks to enter. It is known that the ban is expected to last about a month.
The Vung Ang - Bung expressway project is 55.34km long, of which the section through Ha Tinh is 12.9km long, the section through Quang Tri is 42.44km long, and was started in January 2023 with a total investment of VND 12,548 billion. The route starts at Ky Hoa commune (Ha Tinh), ends at Bo Trach commune (Quang Tri), connecting with the Bung - Van Ninh expressway project.
There are 2 intersections on the route including: Tien Chau - Van Hoa (Km 597+900) and National Highway 12A (Km 605+500). The exploitation of this expressway contributes to shortening the journey from Hanoi to Quang Tri, facilitating trade in the North Central region, promoting the socio-economic development of the region.
The Vung Ang - Bung Expressway is expected to become a vital traffic axis, contributing to promoting the economic and social development of the region.
