The Vietnam Road Administration has just issued a notice of conclusion at the inspection, review and evaluation of traffic safety assurance and the project to expand the Yen Bai - Lao Cai section of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway managed by Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC).
According to the conclusion of the leaders of the Vietnam Road Administration after the field inspection, the project has clearly pointed out that the construction organization still has many shortcomings.
The construction scope extends over many sections of the route, the arrangement of site entry and exit points is not reasonable, and the lack of synchronous signal and warning systems has directly affected operating conditions.
These inadequacies not only reduce the travel capacity of the expressway but also pose a risk of traffic unsafety, especially during peak hours, at night or when the weather is bad.
Faced with the above situation, the Vietnam Road Administration requested VEC to urgently review and complete the traffic organization plan. In which, clearly define the construction scope, construction phase, traffic diversion and guidance plan, ensuring full system of signals, warnings, barriers, traffic lights...
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen inspection and strictly handle cases of non-compliance with traffic safety measures or slow remedy of existing problems.
The road management agency also requested VEC to review and remove unnecessary entrances and exits to construction sites, supplement traffic safety systems, especially nighttime warning devices, and adjust operating speeds to suit actual conditions.
For post-construction items, VEC must urgently restore them, not allowing them to exist for a long time, causing traffic unsafety.
In addition, relevant units such as Road Management Zone I, traffic police and local Department of Construction are also requested to strengthen inspection and supervision, promptly detect and resolutely handle violations, and request to stop construction if traffic safety conditions are not ensured.
Regarding the management and maintenance of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway, the inspection conclusion of the Road Department also pointed out many shortcomings such as: The road surface in many locations has cracks, subsidence, potholes; road markings are blurred, and the sign system does not meet standards.
Some infrastructure items such as guardrails and protective fences are damaged, chipped, or people arbitrarily open paths, posing a potential risk of traffic unsafety.
At intersections and rest stops, traffic organization is still unreasonable, lacking lighting systems, degraded infrastructure, and unsanitary work is not guaranteed, affecting operating conditions and the aesthetics of the route.
Notably, the progress of repair projects in 2025 is still slow, the actual volume has only reached about 30-40%, many items must be moved to 2026, prolonging the situation of existence on the route.
The project to expand the Yen Bai - Lao Cai section of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway has a total investment of nearly 7,700 billion VND, with a length of more than 121km. The project will expand the road section from 2 lanes to 4 lanes, road surface width 24m; supplement the median strip synchronously with the expanded sections in phase 1.
