An accident occurs on the Cam Lo-La Son Expressway.
The government has raised the safety concerns on this expressway, experts, and the public following the latest accident which killed three people on February 18.
The VND7.70 trillion project spans over 98 kilometres of hilly terrain, connecting Thua Thien Hue and Quang Tri provinces.
Despite being home to many dangerous curves, the expressway has just two lanes just 12 metres wide and a maximum speed limit of 60 kph.
Only some 15 km of the road has four lanes allowing a maximum speed of 80 kph.
The hilly terrain and narrow lanes have been highlighted as the main reasons for the large number of traffic accidents.
Despite a ban on overtaking on the two-lane overpass, violations still occur. The expressway still lacks surveillance cameras to monitor and penalise offending drivers.
Following the latest accident, PM Pham Minh Chinh sent a dispatch on February 21 to urge concerned ministries and localities to upgrade expressways that have been put into use in the country.
He asked the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to coordinate with related localities to quickly work out upgrade plans so that those roads fully meet expressway standards. In particular, investment in the two-lane routes must be made soon.
The government leader also requested equipping expressways with sufficient facilities like smart transport systems and rest areas.
In addition, the MoT was asked to quickly work with the Ministry of Science and Technology to issue national technical standards for expressways in the first quarter of 2024 to serve as the basis for planning, designing, managing, building, and safely and efficiently operating those roads.
