VietNamNet Bridge – The Minister of Transport, Dinh La Thang, has set up a team to examine why many sections of new roads and highways have subsided so quickly after being opened.

A stretch of the Nguyen Thi Dinh – Mai Chi Tho road in HCM City's District 2 that subsided after heavy trucks damaged the surface. A team of 14 members from the Transport Ministry has been set up to find out why many sections of new roads and highways have subsided so quickly after being opened.

The team consists of 14 members led by Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong.

The head of the Science and Technology Department, Hoang Ha, and head of the Institute for Science, Technology and Traffic Transport Nguyen Xuan Khang, are deputy leaders.

The team will study and propose solutions to subsidence, often blamed on overloaded trucks. The team may ask experts from scientific institutions and related agencies to help.

Earlier, Minister Thang asked transport units to repair cracks and subsidence on highway projects.

A 30km section of the National Highway 18 through northern Quang Ninh Province, part of the East-West Boulevard project in HCM City and the HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay highway through southern Dong Nai Province have all been downgraded within a short time of opening.

At a recent conference on cracks and subsidence on transport projects, experts blamed temperature changes, overloaded vehicles, construction methods and quality of building materials for the collapse of the road surfaces.

Nguyen Tuan Huynh, deputy general director of the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No4 (Cienco 4) said that contractors were always under pressure over the quality of construction works.

Deputy Minister Dong said road subsidence happened in all countries, but at lower levels.

He said that it was necessary to tighten control over contractors, building material suppliers and workers to make sure construction meet criteria and standards.

VNS/VNN