Cam Lo-La Son Expressway. (Photo: Do Truong/TTXVN)
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The Vietnam Road Administration has recently sent a letter to the Ministry of Transport proposing solutions to improve traffic safety and operational capacity of the Cam Lo-La Son Component Project.
According to the report from the Vietnam Road Administration, the road section of the Cam Lo-La Son Component Project is divided into regular sections with 2 lanes and a road width of 12 meters. Specifically, the road surface is 7 meters wide (1 lane for each direction; a yellow line between opposite traffic directions); the width of each shoulder is 4 meters (the structure of the road surface is the same as the structure of the traffic lane). The width of the side land is 1 meter on each side.
For the overtaking sections (designed in complete phases), the road is divided into 4 lanes with a road width of 23.25 meters, including a 14-meter driving lane; a 0.75-meter median barrier; a 1.5-meter safety strip (2×0.75 meters); a 5-meter emergency stopping strip (2×2.5 meters). The width of the side land is 2 meters (2×1 meter).
In response to the direction of the Minister of the Ministry of Transport, on February 20, the Director of the Vietnam Road Administration chaired a meeting to discuss measures to address shortcomings and ensure traffic safety on the Cam Lo-La Son route and other 2-lane expressways.
Based on the opinions expressed during the meeting, the Vietnam Road Administration proposes several solutions to improve traffic safety on the Cam Lo-La Son route.
Accordingly, due to the phased investment, the regular section of the Cam Lo-La Son expressway currently only has one 3.5-meter wide driving lane and a 2-meter wide shoulder; the median barrier between the driving lane and the shoulder is marked by a solid yellow line (3.1a), which may affect traffic flow.
Therefore, to enhance traffic safety and improve traffic flow on the Cam Lo-La Son route, the Vietnam Road Administration suggests that the Ministry of Transport allow changing the marking line between the shoulder and the driving lane from a solid line (3.1a) to a dashed line (3.1b).
To promptly implement this proposal, the Vietnam Road Administration requests the Ministry of Transport to consider approving and instruct the Project Management Board of the Ho Chi Minh Road to implement this change before March 15.
Following the devastating traffic accident on the Cam Lo-La Son expressway in Thua Thien-Hue province on February 18, which resulted in 3 fatalities, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang instructed relevant units to urgently review and adjust the traffic organization plan to ensure its suitability and enhance safety on the route.
The scene of the accident on the Cam Lo-La Son expressway on February 18, which claimed 3 lives. (Photo: TTXVN)
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During a meeting to implement the Prime Minister’s directive to address the consequences of the traffic accident on February 20, Minister Nguyen Van Thang emphasized that the operation and exploitation of expressways have proven to be effective in promoting socio-economic development and reducing traffic accidents.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, accidents on expressways accounted for 1.16% of total accidents in 2023, and during the Lunar New Year 2024, it was only about 0.35%.
“However, before 2020, due to limited investment resources for transportation infrastructure, some projects had to be divided into phases, including some 2-lane sections. Therefore, the current traffic organization plan has been developed and implemented to suit the phased scale,” Minister Nguyen Van Thang noted.
In the immediate future, the units need to ensure both good operation and accident prevention until the road is expanded according to the plan. The most important issue is to organize traffic scientifically and ensure safety.
The head of the Ministry of Transport has assigned the Vietnam Road Administration, together with the Project Management Board of the Ho Chi Minh Road, to urgently inspect and review the entire route, and promptly address any issues to ensure the safety of vehicles.
In addition, Minister Nguyen Van Thang also requested the units to expedite the preparation of investment for the second phase of expanding the expressway, to report to the relevant authorities for approval and fund allocation for implementation.
Viet Hung
