According to records, after the Lunar New Year, the amount of vehicles on National Highway 1A through Hue - Da Nang, Khanh Hoa increased dramatically. On the peak days, there are 25,000 turns passed through Ninh Loc toll station, 19,000 vehicles through Hai Van tunnel. Operation control factories had to make every effort to minimize the traffic congestion on National Road 1A.
Mr. Vo Ngoc Trung - Director of Hai Van Tunnel Operation Factory said: “The period from 15:00 to 21:00 after Canh Ty New Year (from January 4 Lunar calendar), vehicles from the northern provinces towards the south through Hai Van tunnel increased sharply. Especially, on 1/2/2020 (January 8 Lunar calendar), there were 16,250 vehicles passing through Hai Van tunnel, mostly at 17 p.m to 19 p.m, causing temporary congestion inside the tunnel ”.
Outside of Hai Van tunnel on 1/2/2020 afternoon (Photo taken on camera system)
If Bac Hai Van station discharges, there will be more vehicles entering the tunnel, causing even worse congestion. The operation control factory has, for the first time, implemented a plan to pause the traffic from Da Nang to Hue for 45 minutes, coordinated with Da Nang traffic police force to stop the vehicles at the junction from Da Nang to the southen entrance road to allow vehicle from the north run both lanes in the tunnel in order to reduce traffic standstill on National Road and entrance road of Lang Co (Hue).
"When running this plan, the vehicle flow has decreased, although we have to accept traffic congestion from Danang towards Hue but this solution ensure overall is stable to avoid prolonging congestion in two-way traffic and also control in the tunel," Mr. Trung said.
According to Hai Van Tunnel Operation Control Factory, Deo Ca Transport Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company (DII), said that Hai Van 1 Tunnel is designed to meet the demand of 12,000 turns per day by 2020. However, according to the operating statistics on weekends and holidays, especially the Lunar New Year in 2019, 2020, the vehicle traffic reached the peak of 19,000 vehicles per day, an average of nearly 800 vehicles per hour. Therefore, by making many operational plans, arranged 100% human resources and rescue vehicles for proper and timely rescue, the operation factories ensure safety and minimize traffic congestion, especially handle promptly situations at risk of fire and explosion in the tunnel.
Though, these operational plans are only temporary solutions, the early operating of Hai Van 2 tunnel and expansion operating of Bac Hai Van toll station, and simultaneously synchronize 4 lanes on the whole route National Road 1A are the completely solutions for the overload congestion in Hai Van 1 tunnel currently.
Inside of Hai Van tunnel on 1/2/2020 afternoon (Photo taken on camera system)
Hai Van tunnel is a combination transport construction including road, tunnel, bridge and attached operating systems with a total length of 13,938 km. Of which the length of the tunnel is 6,280 km.
After operated from 2005, Hai Van tunnel not only significantly shortened distance from 21 km to about 6.2 km and ensured safety for vehicles traveling through Hai Van Pass but also contributed to promote economic development, tourism and services for localities in the region.
However, along with the economic development of the country, the density of vehicles on National Road 1A, especially the section passing through the Central region in general, the Hai Van tunnel in particular has increased dramatically.Therefore, after 15 years of operation, up to now, Hai Van tunnel has become overloaded, especially at peak times or holidays. The overload might cause unsafe traffic and congestion in two entrance roads and inside the tunnels due to two -way traffic in the one tunnel.
With the expected operation of the Hai Van 2 Tunnel in 2020, not only the problems of the accident blackspot in Hai Van will be solved but also trade opportunities for the two provinces of Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang, as well as the Central region and the whole country will be facilitied.
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