Finding a safe solution for Vinh Dien bypass

*Mixed traffic is very crowded on Vinh Dien bypass. Photo: CONG TU*

National Highway 1 avoiding Vinh Dien (commonly known as Vinh Dien bypass), the section passing through Dien Ban ward and Nam Phuoc commune, about 8km long, was invested by the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction ) and put into use since 2004. The road is 11m wide, with 2 lanes for cars traveling in opposite directions.

In recent years, this section of the route in particular (including the new Cau Lau bridge) has been assigned to the Road Management Area III by the Vietnam Road Administration. In addition to regular repairs, the relevant authorities have allocated funds to renovate and upgrade the road surface to make it smoother.

However, the cross-section of Vinh Dien bypass road after 21 years of operation remains the same, with two lanes for cars traveling in opposite directions; there is no separate lane for motorbikes, non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians.

Due to the narrow cross-section, the installation of a hard median strip in the middle to avoid direct conflict between mixed traffic flows is not possible. On the contrary, the number of vehicles in provinces and cities passing through Vinh Dien bypass is increasing, posing a high risk of traffic accidents.

Voters have repeatedly voiced their opinions, including at the National Assembly , to request the relevant ministries and agencies to expand this bypass. However, to install a median strip, the roadbed must be wide enough to ensure at least two lanes on each side.

In addition to the reasons related to financial resources, the relevant ministries and branches expressed their opinions that the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway, when completed and put into use, will significantly reduce traffic volume on National Highway 1, including the Vinh Dien bypass.

The authorities are renovating and upgrading the road surface, but do not have the resources to expand the bypass road. Photo: CONG TU

In fact, this highway has been put into full use since September 2, 2018, but until now, mixed vehicles running on National Highway 1 through Vinh Dien bypass have become more crowded.

Because many long-distance freight and passenger vehicles need to travel on National Highway 1 through the (new) Da Nang area, due to the delivery and receipt of goods; pick-up and drop-off of passengers, including tourists.

Not to mention, people going to work, on business trips, studying, and medical treatment using personal vehicles or service vehicles also pass through this road. Proof of this is that a few months ago, the authorities banned all types of cars from passing through the Cau Lau (new) bridge for repairs. At that time, cars had to go around, creating a huge pressure on the access routes through the area.

To fundamentally solve the problem of traffic insecurity on the Vinh Dien bypass in particular, raising awareness for traffic participants is a necessary condition. In addition, according to voters, a sufficient condition is that the Ministry of Construction soon includes a medium-term plan to upgrade and expand this section of the route, ensuring technical standards for installing hard dividers, avoiding the risk of direct confrontation between vehicles, minimizing potential accidents.

Another limitation of Vinh Dien bypass is the embankment.
high, but the sewer system and underpass have too large an aperture.
narrow so the flood from upstream could not escape in time
The water level on the west side of the road differs from the east side to
more than 1m

In October 2015, the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (now
(Vietnam Road Administration) to deploy and complete construction
Construct 3 box culverts at locations km948+435, km951+040 and
km951+030 to ensure flood drainage and flood control
floods in the rainy season

However, the DH9.DB route has to be "underground".
through the culvert of the bypass with a width of only 3m, forming a "button"
"Bottleneck" causes loss of aesthetics and traffic safety, waste
Investment costs also need to be considered for expansion.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/tim-giai-phap-an-toan-cho-duong-tranh-vinh-dien-3299997.html