Hoang Lien Pass is more than 50km long, connecting Sa Pa (Lao Cai) with Tam Duong (Lai Chau), long considered one of the most dangerous routes in the Northwest.
In winter, dense fog, slippery mountain passes, many sections of the pass are continuously steep, posing a potential risk of traffic accidents.
During the rainy season, landslides often occur, sometimes paralyzing the road.
Therefore, the project to build a road tunnel through Hoang Lien Pass with a total investment of VND 3,300 billion is receiving high expectations from Lao Cai and Lai Chau people.
After completion, the project will shorten travel time, minimize accidents, and open up new development opportunities for both localities.
According to Lao Dong on August 22, this is a busy route with many vehicles when it can connect to Sa Pa tourist area.
With a route of about 50 km long, people, tourists and drivers will have to go through dozens of dangerous hand-carving bends.
In particular, Hoang Lien Pass also has dense fog on rainy and winter days. This reduces the visibility of moving vehicles, posing a potential risk of traffic accidents
Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, a bus driver on the Lai Chau - Lao Cai route, shared: "Every day I cross the pass, when there is rain and wind, the bus driver is very nervous, sometimes landslides block the road and have to wait for hours. On foggy days, I have to crawl a little. Hearing the news of an upcoming tunnel through the pass, we were very happy. Hopefully the project will be implemented soon to make travel safer, making it less difficult for drivers and passengers".
Not only drivers, people in mountainous communes along the pass also expressed their anticipation.
Ms. Lo Thi Sen (residing in Sa Pa ward, Lao Cai province) said: "This pass is also often prone to accidents because of its steep road, below which is a deep abyss. In winter, the fog is dense, so traveling through a series of curves is very difficult and dangerous. If there is a tunnel, the transportation of goods and passengers will be much more convenient, faster and safer."
According to other people, not only a traffic project, Hoang Lien road tunnel also has great significance in helping people in the highlands reduce the lurking dangers.
The bustling scene at the gateway to Sa Pa, Lai Chau these days shows the clear expectations of the people.
The Hoang Lien road tunnel project is not only a modern infrastructure project, but also a dream of a closer, more favorable and more developed future for people in the Northwest highlands.
It is known that the project has a total length of about 8.8 km, of which the main tunnel is 2.63 km long and the secondary tunnel is 2.65 km long. The project is expected to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2025 and be completed in 2027.
Currently, procedures related to technical design, site clearance and capital preparation are being coordinated by the authorities of the two provinces.
According to Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee, the Hoang Lien Pass road tunnel project, when completed, will help vehicles avoid 22 km of passes on National Highway 4D, shortening the travel time through the pass from 52 minutes for cars and about 120 minutes for trucks and container trucks, to 11 minutes if passing through the tunnel.
When completed, the project will improve the quality of the main traffic infrastructure between Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces, creating momentum for socio-economic development, ensuring national security and defense in Lai Chau province and the Northwest region.
