The Road Less Travelled: Uncovering the Beauty of the Thai Nguyen – Cho Moi Highway

Speaking to Tien Phong PV on the morning of the 10th of September, a representative from the Vietnam Road Administration revealed that the Thai Nguyen region had been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall, coupled with flooding, which has severely impacted multiple roads.

As of 9 am today, the Thai Nguyen – Cho Moi highway (km74+700-km75+200) in Thai Nguyen City is deeply flooded, with water levels ranging from 0.6 to 1.2 meters, resulting in a complete halt of traffic. Vehicles are currently not permitted to enter this area.

Additionally, National Highway 3 from Thai Nguyen City to Bac Kan has six flooded sections, with water levels ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 meters, causing road blockages and disrupting transportation. Specifically, Giang Tien town in Phu Luong district has been inundated with floodwaters ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 meters deep since yesterday evening. In Phu Luong district, there are two flooded sections in Du town, each with water levels reaching 0.5 to 1 meter deep. Two points in Yen Do village are flooded with water levels from 0.6 to 1.1 meters, and in Yen Ninh village, water levels range from 0.4 to 0.7 meters.

A landslide occurred on the Ho Chi Minh Road in Tan Duong commune, Dinh Hoa district last night, but warning signs and tensioned ropes have been installed to alert passersby.

According to the Vietnam Road Administration representative, as of this morning, there are still two roadblockages in Bac Kan due to flooding and landslides: one at km207 on National Highway 3N (adjacent to Na Hang district in Tuyen Quang province) and another on National Highway 279 at km 57, bordering Chiêm Hóa district in Tuyen Quang.

In Cao Bang, National Highway 34 has been blocked by a landslide on the roadside embankment. As of this morning, 20 locations have been cleared, with 14 remaining. At Km172+100, there is a complete collapse of the road foundation and surface, approximately 100 meters long and 1.2 meters deep.

Additionally, there are five locations with landslides on the roadside embankments. The Cao Bang Department of Transport has instructed the maintenance unit to regularly install tensioned ropes and warning signs at both ends of the affected sections, as well as assign personnel to guide traffic and ensure timely transportation.

National Highway 34B still has some sections with deep flooding, averaging 0.5 to 2 meters. Landslides have caused blockages on National Highway 4A, and heavy rainfall has disrupted communication on National Highway 4C, making it difficult to obtain damage reports. The Department of Transport has dispatched a team to the scene to oversee disaster relief efforts and will provide updated damage reports as soon as possible,” the representative of the Vietnam Road Administration said.

The representative of the Vietnam Road Administration emphasized that this rainfall event differs from the one in July in Ha Giang, as the northern roads are not only experiencing landslides but also severe flooding. Therefore, local road management agencies need to provide early warnings to residents, and many roads have not yet been accessible to authorities.

“It is important for residents to also be cautious. For cars, a water depth of about 10 cm is impassable, and for SUVs, the limit is about 20 cm. However, in the case of rapid currents, even a depth of 10-15 cm can be hazardous for all vehicles,” advised the representative from the Vietnam Road Administration.