The director of the Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway Management Board has been suspended and contractors warned after potholes appeared on the newly-built route.

Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway

The Vietnam Express Corporation (VEC) announced on October 29 that they had given warnings to the leaders of the management board of the contractors of Package 4 and Package 6, the management board of Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway and the project executive committee.

Director of the management board of Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway, Nguyen Tien Thanh, has been suspended.

Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway is a part of the North-South Expressway. Construction was started in 2013 with a total investment of VND34.51trn (USD1.6bn). The expressway is 139,204km long and runs through Danang, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces. It was completed and opened to traffic on September 2.

However, the Danang-Tam Ky section had already opened to traffic last year and was already damaged by September. The repairs weren't carried out quick enough and more parts of the road were damaged. It is reported that because of an incomplete drainage system that the sewers at least 21 sections have leakages.

VEC said they had asked contractors to repair the damaged expressway. Since the expressway is still under 24-month guarantee, the contractors must pay for all repairs. The barriers and collector roads at many sections haven't been built yet due to difficulties in ground clearance.

The Ministry of Transport has carried out an inspection over the Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway after potholes appeared after rains. It warned and reprimanded VEC twice over the damage.

Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway Project Management Director Nguyen Tien Thanh blamed heavy trucks, diesel leaks and rainfall as causes of the damage but these reasons were refuted by the ministry.

VEC director board held a meeting on October 12 and also reprimanded its director, Tran Van Tam.

Disciplinary action taken in Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway case

A section of Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway – PHOTO: VEC

Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) has taken disciplinary action against individuals and groups responsible for supervising the quality of the VND34-trillion Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway. The road underwent major repairs just months after it was opened to traffic, raising questions about the quality of its construction, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

In a recent meeting, VEC issued a warning against four organizations under its authority – the Executive Boards for Packages No.4 and No.6; the Danang-Quang Ngai Project Management Board; and the Executive, Management and Operation Board for Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway (VECS).

VEC also issued warnings to five individuals, of which two are directors of executive boards, two are staff in charge of construction for packages No.4 and No.6 and one is a deputy director and head of the operation and maintenance unit under VECS.

Nguyen Tien Thanh, director of the Danang-Quang Ngai Project Management Board, was suspended from his job.

The expressway, which is 131 kilometers long and has four lanes in central Vietnam, allows for a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. It is touted as an artery road linking major economic centers and forming part of the ambitious North-South Expressway project.

The project cost a total of VND34.5 trillion, which was raised from government bond sales and loans from the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

A 65-kilometer section, running from the ancient village of Tuy Loan in Hoa Vang District, Danang City, to Tam Ky City in Quang Nam Province, was opened to traffic in August last year.

The entire road was put into operation on September 2, but just weeks later, several potholes appeared.

The Ministry of Transport on October 11 suspended toll collections on the expressway to force its investor, VEC, to repair the road. It was not until late last week that the ministry allowed the resumption of toll collection upon reviewing the repairs.

Toll collections resume on Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway

A just-repaired section of Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway. The Ministry of Transport has allowed the resumption of toll collection for the newly built road 

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has allowed Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC), the investor of the Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway in central Vietnam, to resume toll collections on the expressway after VEC finished repairing the road, news site Vietnamplus reported.

The ministry said VEC must request the project’s contractors and consultants to continue monitoring the condition of the road in a bid to promptly detect and handle potholes.

If VEC fails to repair the road within one day after detecting potholes or other signs of deterioration, the ministry will once again suspend all toll collections on the expressway, The said.

The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam will have to frequently check the road and monitor road repairs if it deteriorates again.

VEC general director Tran Van Tam said the suspension of toll collections had caused losses of some VND600 million per day for the corporation.

However, VEC had covered all road repair costs and will cooperate with State management agencies to handle possible future problems, Tam added.

Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway, which is 131 kilometers long and has four lanes, allows for a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The project cost a total of VND34.5 trillion, which was raised from G-bond sales and loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the World Bank.

A 65-kilometer section, running from the ancient village of Tuy Loan in Hoa Vang District, Danang City, to Tam Ky City in Quang Nam Province, was opened to traffic in August last year. The entire road was put into operation early last month.

However, the road was found to have many potholes at the end of last month.

Therefore, on October 11, the Ministry of Transport suspended toll collections on the Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway to force the investor to repair the road.

Dtinews/SGT