Da Nang, over recent times, has focused on taking many synchronous solutions, boosting transport infrastructure development and upgrading many intersections in a bid to tackle traffic congestion and reduce road crashes.

The intersection of Nguyen Huu Tho - Xo Viet Nghe Tinh streets will be upgraded in the coming time.

According to Director of the municipal Department of Transport Le Van Trung, since 2016, competent local agencies have made the installation of traffic lights at 90 intersections across the city, hereby bringing the total number of intersections equipped with traffic lights at present to 176.

In 2020 alone, work was completed on the upgrade of 17 intersections and 73 traffic accident ‘blackspots’ across the city, some of which had previously highlighted severe bottlenecks and sharp curves obscuring road users’ vision.

According to the Ministry of Transport, a location will be deemed an accident ‘blackspot’ if at least two fatal accidents, or four normal crashes in which the victims are injured, occur there in a period of 12 months.

Besides, one-way traffic was set for seven more road sections, and there was the allocation of 25 more local streets where four-wheeled vehicles are only allowed to park either on odd dates or even dates in downtown districts.

Till date, 18 streets and areas have been equipped with a total of 253 cameras and 16 specialised speed measuring devices.

Following the recent green light given by Da Nang government, the existing intersection of the Nguyen Huu Tho - Xo Viet Nghe Tinh streets will be upgrade for smoother and safer traffic circulation at a total cost of nearly 12 billion VND funded by the city budget.

This site is now put at a high risk of traffic accidents, needing to be upgraded as soon as possible.

Under the project, focus will be on renovating and narrowing the median strip on Nguyen Huu Tho and Xo Viet Nghe Tinh streets in a bid to widen the road surface, shorten the journey for vehicles travel through the intersection, and organising one-way traffic on a section of Ho Nguyen Trung Street between its intersections with Nguyen Huu Tho and Do Thuc Tinh streets.

The upgrade will be developed by the municipal Department of Transport, and managed by the municipal Transport Infrastructure Management Center over the 2021 – 2022 period.

The intersection at the western end of Tien Son Bridge has been renovated and put into use, contributing to reducing traffic accidents.

Till date, many intersections have been given ‘new coats’, including the intersections at the western and eastern ends of Tien Son Bridge, and Nguyen Sinh Sac - Hoang Thi Loan, Nguyen Huu Tho - Le Dai Hanh - Trinh Dinh Thao, 2 September - Xo Viet Nghe Tinh – Cach Mang Thang Tam ones, thus contributing to considerably reducing traffic accidents and gridlocks.

Over the 2021 – 2025 period, heed will be paid to deploying the improvement of 64 intersections along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and 14 others along Ngo Quyen - Ngu Hanh Son route.

Last, but not least, more traffic control signals will be installed at five intersections: Vo Nguyen Giap - Do Ba, Vo Nguyen Giap - Phan Tu, Vo Nguyen Giap - Nguyen Van Thoai, Vo Nguyen Giap - Vuong Thua Vu, and the bypass to the south of Hai Van Tunnels - Nguyen Tat Thanh.

In his perspective, Vice Chairman of the municipal Bridge and Road Association Tran Dan, in order to solve the problem of congestion and urban traffic accidents, the local transport industry must, in a prompt fashion, give suggestions to the municipal administration about modern and sustainable transport development orientations in line with the Prime Minister-approved adjustments to the Da Nang Master Plan for its major development goals to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Reporting by THANH LAN – Translating by A.T