A lack of budget
Currently, the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway is 17m wide with 4 lanes. There are six emergency stopping points, each four to five kilometers apart, but no dedicated stop lanes on the two sides.
Reportedly, though the speed limit is 80km per hour, the expressway was still heavily congested whenever a minor accident happened when put into operation during the Lunar New Year.
The Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway has no dedicated emergency lane. (Photo: SGGP)
According to the Ministry of Transport, the Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway was built in accordance with the Decision No. 5019 dated December 31, 2014 of the Ministry with guidance on the design and organization of traffic in the first phase of construction. The Ministry also ensures each stop point allows two trucks to be parked at the same time.
Building a dedicated emergency stop lane along the entire route in phase one would increase the budget by VND5,000-6,000 billion (about US$219-$262 million), said the Transport Engineering Design Inc. (TEDI) in charge of the project.
Former Deputy Minister of Transport confirmed that all expressways in the Government’s network are designed to have four to six lanes and a speed limit of 80 to 120 kilometers per hour once they pass the first phase of investment.
No highway to Dat Mui, Ca Mau Cape
Warning signs for floods and hazards on a cross-country road passing through Dat Mui, Ca Mau (Photo: SGGP)
There is no highway currently planned for the section leading from Ca Mau City to Dat Mui Commune, said Director of Ca Mau Department of Transport. Due to low transport demand, the section mainly consists of local roads and inland waterways to reduce logistics costs, the Ministry of Transport explained.
The Ministry also stated that the traffic volume in the Nam Can - Dat Mui section had not exceeded the designed capacity, and there would be expansions to meet future transportation needs.
However, Ca Mau Province itself proposed for a highway leading to the upcoming seaport at Hon Khoai, Tan An commune, Ngoc Hien District worth US$3.5 billion. The project is promised to bring economic support to the region.
The Ministry of Transport had decided to reconsider the proposal.
