Along the route, landslides occurred in some locations, rocks and soil spilled onto the road surface and filled the drainage ditches. The water that could not drain in time overflowed onto the road, making the deterioration even more serious.
According to records, since the beginning of December, the eastern part of Gia Lai province has continuously had heavy rain, causing many sections of National Highway 1D to be severely damaged, especially the steep pass area bordering Dak Lak.
Some locations of the road surface are damaged without lighting systems, causing people and vehicles to face the risk of unsafe traffic at night.
Mr. Nguyen Van T. (55 years old, living in Dak Lak) said that he and his wife often ride motorbikes from their hometown to visit their child who is living in the old Binh Dinh province (now the eastern part of Gia Lai province). The road is currently degraded, making travel increasingly difficult.
"There are many chickens appearing, the road surface is slippery because of gravel and rocks peeling off the asphalt. I ran slowly but still felt uneasy. Tet is approaching, this damaged road is very dangerous," said Mr. T.
National Highway 1D is about 35km long, with a high density of traffic, and is an important traffic route of the two provinces of Gia Lai - Dak Lak. Therefore, it is very urgent to promptly repair the damage and ensure the safety of people and vehicles.
Speaking to Lao Dong, the leader of the Department of Construction of Gia Lai province said that the recent flood caused the Cu Mong tunnel on National Highway 1 to be deeply flooded, leading to a congestion of more than 4km, forcing many vehicles to change direction on National Highway 1D. The sudden increase in traffic volume combined with floods has caused the road surface to rapidly deteriorate.
Immediately after the flood, the Department of Construction inspected the route and made a maintenance plan for National Highway 1D through the province. In the rainy and windy weather conditions, the Department requested the maintenance unit to temporarily repair with appropriate materials to ensure traffic; handle eroded negative slopes, clear landslides onto the road and clear drainage ditches.
"We are waiting for the Provincial People's Council to approve the maintenance plan and wait for the dry weather to implement thorough repairs, ensuring a smooth road surface before Tet for the people", said the leader of the Department of Construction.
