The most severe damage has been recorded near Km29+700, where the expressway intersects Provincial Road 14B in Khe Tre Commune, Hue City. A dangerous landslide stretch measuring roughly 30 meters in length and more than 10 meters in height has carved through the hillside beside the road leading toward Da Nang.
The collapse has torn apart the reinforced concrete retaining structure along the slope. Large slabs of broken concrete now hang precariously over the mountainside, raising fears they could crash onto the roadway during heavy rain. Deep erosion channels extend from the hilltop down to the road edge, while loose soil and rocks continue to spill onto the route.
Debris from earlier landslides remains partially uncleared at the foot of the embankment, burying and deforming several guardrails. Residents say the situation has become increasingly hazardous because the access road connecting Khe Tre Commune to the expressway is already narrow and winding along steep mountain terrain.
Nguyen Quan, a local resident, said the danger intensifies during rain, fog, and nighttime conditions. He noted that additional cracks and fresh slide marks have appeared across nearby hillsides, suggesting broader geological instability around the interchange.
“Large chunks of concrete and soil from the hilltop could collapse onto the road at any moment,” Quan said, adding that many drivers now travel through the area in constant fear, especially during bad weather.
Local authorities confirmed that road management units removed significant amounts of soil, rock, and broken concrete after storms and floods in late 2025. However, officials acknowledged that the repairs were largely temporary and have not fully addressed the risk posed by the fractured slope, where debris continues to fall onto the roadway.
Mr. Tran Duc Hiep, Executive Director of the La Son–Hoa Lien Expressway Project Management Board, said procedures are being finalized to repair the damaged interchange area. Under the proposed plan, the access route from Khe Tre to Hue and the branch from Da Nang into Khe Tre will remain unchanged. Meanwhile, the branch connecting Hue to Khe Tre and the route from Khe Tre to Da Nang will be relocated to Km15, nearly two kilometers from the current interchange. Construction adjustments are expected to begin in early June.
The first phase of the 66-kilometer La Son–Hoa Lien Expressway was completed and opened to traffic in April 2022. In May 2025, authorities launched an expansion project to upgrade the route to four lanes, widening the road to 22 meters and setting a design speed of 60–80 kilometers per hour under expressway standards. The State-funded project carries a total investment of over VND3 trillion (US$115 million) and has recently received a second extension, pushing the contract deadline to June 30.
