VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has announced plan to repair the National Highway No 5, connecting Hanoi to the northern city of Hai Phong, with the total cost estimated at over VND2 billion (US$86 million).

A section of National Highway No 5 is seen in poor condition. —VNA/VNS Photo Phan Quan

The repair work is set to be completed in 2021, said Nguyen Van Tinh, general director of the Viet Nam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI).

As scheduled, the company would focus on fixing parts of the 116km National Highway and improving the road barriers as well as the drainage system, Tinh said.

The traffic route runs through localities of Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong and Hai Phong.

The move came after the surface of the National Highway was reported to be downgraded, while lines and road signs in several sections had been installed in unsuitable places.

Colonel Hoang Tien Nam, head of the Road and Railway Traffic Office under the Hai Duong Province’s Police Department, said the poor condition of the National Highway was one of the major reasons for recent traffic accidents.

The number of traffic accidents on the road was claimed to be the highest out of all national highways running through the province, he said.

Hoang Trieu Hung, deputy head of Hai Phong City’s Department of Transport, said some road signs on the section running through the city were installed inconsistently. This means traffic police has struggled to deal with traffic violations.

According to Tỉnh, at first, the company would re-paint the road lines and reinforce barriers along sections in localities of Hung Yen and Hai Duong by the end of this year.

Source: VNS