Due to the socio-economic development of the country, the number of vehicles increased rapidly beyond the estimated overload time of Hai Van tunnel, setting an urgent need to complete the second tunnel early.

The construction of the second tunnel of Hai Van tunnel between Da Nang city and Thua Thien Hue. Photo: VNA

Mr. Phan Van Thang, General Director of Deo Ca Group Investment Joint Stock Company (the investor of Hai Van 2 tunnel) said that, due to the impact of COVID-19 epidemic in Da Nang, the operation plan in September 2020 of Hai Van 2 tunnel had to be delayed. It is expected that by the end of this year, this project can be put into operation.

“However, the project is facing many difficulties in financial plans, such as 1.180 billion VND from the state budget to support the project has not been allocated and the adjustment of the toll collection mechanism at La Son - Tuy Loan station as the signed BOT contract leads to a shortage of capital and revenue, makes the financial plan unsecured.

These difficulties may cause the delay of many items of Hai Van 2 tunnel as well as insufficient funding for maintenance and operation of the currently exploited Hai Van tunnel”, Mr. Phan Van Thang said. Regarding these problems, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho has just sent official letter No.9666/BGTVT-ĐTCT to the Prime Minister, proposing the Prime Minister to preside over a meeting of the Standing Government of the Government to agree on solutions to the difficulties and problems of the tunnel project through Ca pass, including Hai Van 2 tunnel.

Specifically, Document No.9666/BGTVT stated that, from 2018, the Prime Minister issued instructions in Notice No.61/TB-VPCP dated February 10, 2018 and Document No.2605/VPCP-CN dated March 22, 2018 on dealing with difficulties and problems affecting the project's financial plans. The Ministry of Transport has coordinated with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Investment, Justice, Banking, State Audit ... to summarize the reports and propose solutions to solve these problems to the Prime Minister.

“In 2019, based on the directing opinions of the Government, the Ministry of Finance presided over to summarize reports and propose solutions to the Prime Minister to remove difficulties. Implementing the Notification No.02/TB-VPCP dated January 3, 2020 and the guidance in Document No.831/VPCP-CN dated February 5, 2020 of the Government Office, the Ministry of Transport has coordinated with Investor to performs a comprehensive review of the financial plan and the commitments in the project contract, make a full analysis on the legal basis of the proposed solutions of the Ministry of Transport, in which the Ministry of Transport has consulted the National Assembly Finance and Budget Committee, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, Vietinbank and has reported to the Prime Minister in Document No.6341/BGTVT -DTCT”, the Ministry of Transport informed.

However, up to now, the difficulties and problems of the project have not been resolved, although the investor (Deo Ca Group Investment Joint Stock Company) has repeatedly reported to authorities to soon complete Hai Van 2 tunnel and put into operation according to the set schedule.

At 0:30 today (October 15), at the southern leading road of Hai Van 1 tunnel, there was a serious traffic accident between a passenger car and a container tractor, causing 2 deaths on the scene and about 20 people were injured. Photo: Deo Ca.

Back to the story of the urgent need to put Hai Van 2 Tunnel project into operation early, Assoc.Prof.Dr Tran Chung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Road Systems Investors, former Director of the State Department of Construction Quality Inspection (Ministry of Construction), said: “Due to low vehicle traffic forecast, in phase 1, Hai Van tunnel is designed to allow two-way traffic in 01 tunnel. But recently, the development of the country leading to the rapid increase of the vehicle number, beyond the forecasted overload time of Hai Van tunnel is after 2025, setting an urgent need to complete the second tunnel soon”.

According to the assessment of the leaders of the Public-Private Partnership Department (the Ministry of Transport), the implementation of Hai Van tunnel project phase 2 will contribute to ensuring operation capacity of Hai Van tunnel in the coming time, especially with the traffic growth of 10-15%/year, deal with the overload problem in Hai Van 1 tunnel, synchronize 4-lane scale on the whole route of National road 1.

As the unit directly operates the Hai Van tunnel, Mr. Le Chau Thang, Director of the Hai Van Tunnel Operation Management Enterprise (the company that manages the operation of Hai Van tunnel) said, has witnessed many pitiful traffic accidents in the tunnel, in which there are many accidents caused by vehicles encroaching upon and headed to the opposite vehicles.

At 0:30 today (October 15), at the southern leading road of Hai Van 1 tunnel, there was a serious traffic accident between a passenger car and a container tractor, killing 2 people on the spot and about 20 people were hospitalized. According to the initial judgment, the passenger car overtook the car in the same direction, encroaching into the opposite lane causing the accident.

“When detecting the incident, the Hai Van tunnel operation management unit immediately sent rescue force to the scene, brought ambulances to carry the injured to the hospital. At the same time, regulate traffic in the area where an accident occurs and report to the traffic police force to coordinate handling”, Mr. Le Chau Thang said.

Mr. Le Chau Thang also added that, in order to ensure traffic safety and security and avoid traffic congestion due to the accident, Hai Van Tunnel Project Management Board has temporarily opened one-way traffic on the new leading road of Hai Van 2 tunnel (the project has not been put into operation) to allow vehicles of Da Nang authorities approach the scene and release traffic jams at both ends of the tunnel and inside of Hai Van tunnel 1.

At 5:48 am on the same day, after moving the accident vehicles, clearing the scene, vehicles were allowed to move through Hai Van 1 tunnel and Hai Van 2 tunnel was closed.

“Witnessing this unfortunate incident, any of us can not help but grieve at the loss of each family when a member dies or becomes disabled. Thereby showing the importance and urgency for investment in the construction of Hai Van 2 tunnel and soon put this project into operation in order to save costs and improve investment efficiency”, said Mr. Le Chau Thang.

Ministry of Transport informs that, according to the contract signed between Deo Ca Group Investment Joint Stock Company and the Ministry of Transport, the investment project to build tunnels through Ca Deo has 4 tunnels across the mountain on National Road 1, including Deo Ca tunnel, Co Ma tunnel, Cu Mong tunnel and Hai Van tunnel with a total investment of about 21,613 billion VND.

The project is implemented in the form of public-private partnership (PPP); in which, the state capital in the project is 5,048 billion dong, accounting for 23.35% of total investment capital. The remaining 16,564 billion VND is equity and mobilized from other investors.

According to the financial plan of Deo Ca tunnel project, the project is allowed to use 7 toll booths to payback, including An Dan, Deo Ca, Ninh Loc, Cu Mong, Nam Hai Van, La Son - Tuy Loan and Bac Hai Van station.

Currently, the tunnels of Deo Ca, Co Ma, and Cu Mong have been completed and put into operation. Hai Van 2 tunnel expansion component project is expected to be put into operation in the fourth quarter of 2020.