Delay in the construction of a tunnel at the Dien Bien Phu - Nguyen Tri Phuong intersection in the central Da Nang City has worsened the traffic situation in the area during rush hour.

Vehicles stuck in the area of tunnel construction site in Dien Bien Phu Street, Da Nang City. — Photo kenh14.vn

The construction, aimed at reducing traffic jams from Da Nang International Airport to the central city, and another part serving the APEC Summit in November began in December 2016 and was expected to be completed late last month, but, so far, the construction site was still a mess.

“The delay in construction had badly impacted our lives,” a local living near the construction site said.

“During rush hour in the morning and evening, vehicles are forced to come to a standstill on the road for hours,” he said.

The area is very dusty on sunny days, while on rainy days, huge puddles of water are everywhere, a woman, who has a small shop on Dien Bien Phu Street, said. The construction had resulted in difficulties for her business.

So far, roads and other infrastructure that are part of the tunnel project are still being undertaken.

Explaining the construction delay, Le Thanh Vinh, a commander at the construction site, said as per the initial schedule, the construction had to be completed by December this year.

However, the Da Nang People’s Committee then asked investors to accelerate the progress to complete it by September to serve the APEC Summit, Vinh said.

However, due to the cramped and crowded area around the construction site, the investors pleaded for permission to complete construction by late October, which was accepted by the People’s Committee.

The Dien Bien Phu - Nguyen Tri Phuong Tunnel Construction project received VNĐ118 billion (US$51.2 million) invested by Thuan An Construction Company and Thang Long Corporation.

The total length of the tunnel is 432m. It is the city’s second tunnel.

VNS