Vietnam's national road network is collapsing, as poorly constructed sections of highways crack and subside by more than 10cm, creating a major hazard for unwary drivers.
Within months of opening in November 2011, the USD465m Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Highway - the East-West Highway - has had to be repaired after cracks appeared in the tarmac and sections subsided all along the route.
The subsidence on Vo Van Kiet-Mai Chi Tho Highway
The 1-km section to Cat Lai Port is in very bad condition, with subsidence of 10cm, creating a hazard for drivers unused to the distorted road surface.
In 2013, HCM City authorities told contractors and consulting and supervising firms to find the cause and fix it. To date, they have yet to approve a repair plan, blaming subsidence on unexpectedly heavy traffic.
The same problem has been reported on sections of National Highway 1A, particularly from the northern provinces of Ha Nam and Ninh Binh. Opened to traffic in 2012, the section has collapsed to a depth that drivers mistake it for separate traffic lanes.
Other roads, such as the Long Thanh-Dau Giay Highway in HCM City and a section of the national highway running through Haiphong City have also failed, despite repairs in June 2014.
The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam said road subsidence was occurring nationwide on all major projects.
The agency said hot weather with prolonged high temperatures in the central region, underground water, and traffic overload were to blame, as well as substandard foundations using poor quality materials and lax supervision.
Transport Minister Dinh La Thang said subsidence was occurring across the country.
“Subsiding road surfaces have occurred with increasing frequency" Thang said. "It’s leaving me with sleepless nights."
He banned contractors in June 2013 that worked on National Highway 18 from other transport infrastructure projects after sections collapsed.