Many sections, up to 10km long, of National Highway 1 in central Viet Nam has sunk up to over 6cm, allegedly caused by the ongoing scorching heat that has melt the asphalt concrete on the road surface.

According to a report of the Road Management Department II, the highway’s section linking the two towns of Dien Chau and Quan Hanh in Nghe An Province has subsided from 1 to 2.5 cm.

This section is about 10km long and most of the sinking spots are in the lane for cars, triggering safety concerns, the report said.

A sunken section of National Highway 1

According to some locals, the road sinking was detected three or four months ago, but no repair has been made so far. 

For fear of accidents, truck drivers had to steer their vehicles very slowly on these sunken sections, they said.

Dinh Dang Khanh, deputy director of the Project Management Unit 85, under the provincial Department of Transport, said, “We are closely monitoring the situation and will have plans to repair the subsided section soon to ensure traffic safety.”

Those sections that have been paved with asphalt concrete can be easily melted by the baking heat wave that is raging in central Viet Nam, Khanh said.

This asphalt concrete can survive the maximum heat of 60 degrees Celsius, while road surface temperatures may reach 73 degrees, Khanh explained.

(Source: Tuoitrenews)