La Son - Tuy Loan Highway has taken form

“The form” of La Son – Tuy Loan highway

Local efforts

From the junction, the construction of the project connecting La Son-Nam Dong road of Nam Dong district has been completed. The construction items have been basically accomplished; and the roadbed is flat and smooth running through pine forests and economic forests, like a train crossing the mountain.

Mr. Tran Quoc Phung, Chairman of Nam Dong District People's Committee assessed that it is a national key project, which has a particular important significance in the economic development of Thua Thien Hue in general, Nam Dong in particular, as well as La Son-Nam Dong route and La Son - Tuy Loan route. Right from the beginning of the site clearance work and the stabilization of the lives of people in the area affected by the project, the authorities have actively implemented assigned tasks and regarded the project tasks as the top priority. Though the project passes through 36km of the district’s area and there were certain initial disturbances, with the efforts of the sectors of all level, the clearance work has been basically completed.

Mr. Ho Tang Phuc, Director of the Nam Dong District Land Fund Development Center, informed that 562 households with more than 100 hectares of land were affected by the project of La Son-Tuy Loan highway. In which, 41 households had to relocate to Huong Loc Commune, Huong Phu Commune and Khe Tre town. The households had been compensated for housing and resettlement land. Up to now, the taken back land areas have been compensated for by the project investors, and the relocated households have settled down.

According to Mr. Phuc, the project investors are currently building residential roads and underground tunnels to serve the travel needs of the people in the communes which include a large number of people living on economic forest planting.

Technical test runs at the end of 2018

According to the Department of Planning and Investment, the La Son - Tuy Loan Highway Project, up to now, has compensated 100% for site clearance and has finished 96% of construction volume. Technical test runs are expected to be conducted at the end of 2018 and the route is expected to be finished and open for use in the first quarter of 2019.

Mr. Nguyen Vu Quy, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh Road Management Board informed, by the end of 2018, the La Son - Tuy Loan Highway project has completed over 96% of construction volume and is urgently completing the final construction items to ensure the aim of road opening to connect the east route of Ho Chi Minh Road with the Da Nang – Quang Ngai Highway.

According to Mr. Quy, 34km out of the 36km of La Son - Tuy Loan Highway route which passes through Thua Thien Hue province now has smooth Asphalt concrete C12.5 surface. The bridges on the route have been completed and 35 out of 36 bridges have had Asphalt concrete rolled (only Lo O Bridge is left). The remaining items such as embankments and talus slopes are completely finished. Currently, equipment to ensure traffic safety such as signs, road markings and guardrails are being installed and completed. 

“The project goes through mountainous terrain. Deep excavation of complicated geology was required. Together with weak soil and groundwater, all have led to much technical treatment. The road is new so the service road system for construction works is only temporary. Therefore, contractors face many difficulties in transporting materials and machinery for construction,” Mr. Quy shared.

Some specific positions such as Km25 hill and Mu Em3 Stream Bridge section, which Truong Thinh Group Joint Stock Company undertook construction, have complicated geology with frequent landslides. Therefore, construction engineering plans had to be changed often in order to find new design solutions to ensure long- lasting work.

“Up to now, many contractors have met the progress targets and the assigned construction volume, such as Truong Son Construction Corporation, Son Hai Group Co., Ltd. This has contributed greatly to ensuring the overall progress to soon put the project into the technical test run stage and exploit in the coming time,” Mr. Quy evaluated.

According to the Ho Chi Minh Road Management Board, the La Son - Tuy Loan Road (Km0-Km66) has a scale of a 4-lane highway. However, due to inadequate capital, the foundation is constructed for a 4-lane highway, but only a 2-lane surface is built. Therefore, later exploitation will not bring into full play the effectiveness of the project and there are potential safety risks during the route operation and exploitation. Ho Chi Minh Road Management Board reported to the Ministry of Transport to request the National Assembly to allocate about VND 2,000 billion to complete the planned 4-lane highway.

By KHANH SON