Over recent months, many cracks have been found in the arch of the existing main Hai Van Tunnel running beneath the namesake pass which is located at the geographical boundary between Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue Province.

The emergency tunnel (right) next to the existing main tunnel (left)

According to the Ho Chi Minh City-based Deo Ca Investment JSC, these cracks were initially discovered in early 2016 when the company was assigned by the Transport Ministry to manage this tunnel. 

The company is the developer of a project involving expanding the over 6.2 km-long, single-lane emergency tunnel lying parallel to the existing tunnel. Under the project, a new 2.1 km-long stretch of road to Thua Thien-Hue Province’s Lang Co Town, and a 4.3 km-long roadway leading to Da Nang is underway.

In July 2016, the Deo Ca company began carrying out dynamite detonations to expand the emergency tunnel as a part of the ongoing project. 

Many cracks found in the main tunnel

Over recent months, many vehicle users travelling through the main tunnel have raised their deep concern over new cracks.  It was initially thought that these existing fractures appeared in the existing tunnel due to the expansion of the main tunnel’s concrete walls.

The Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam (DRVN) and the Deo Ca company will together conduct careful checks over the cracks.  The main reason for this matter will be widely publicised amongst the general public in order to make them secure whilst travelling thorough the main tunnel.

Work is progressing well on this large-scale project, and the new tunnel is expected to come into use in 2019.