Cases of temporary closing of expressway facilities in Vietnam

Cases of temporary closing of expressway facilities in Vietnam (Internet image)

Conditions for expressway facilities to be put into operation or use in Vietnam

According to Clause 1, Article 11 of Decree 32/2014/ND-CP amended by Decree 25/2023/ND-CP, conditions for expressway facilities to be put into operation or use in Vietnam include:

- Having been tested and accepted for completion of construction in accordance with the law on construction;

- The approved traffic organization plan;

- There are operating procedures for the items and equipment specified in Clause 2, Article 11 of Decree 32/2014/ND-CP amended by Decree 25/2023/ND-CP.

Operation and exploitation process of construction items and equipment in Vietnam

According to Decree 25/2023/ND-CP, the operation and exploitation process of construction items and equipment in Vietnam are as follows:

- Tunnel works on highways using equipment for ventilation, dust filtration, environmental control, fire prevention and fighting, electrical systems and other equipment in service of exploitation and use;

- National center for management and administration of traffic; Center for management and operation of online traffic;

- The equipment installed in the highway works include: vehicle identification device, weight scale, traffic control, construction monitoring, fire safety equipment, equipment in service of rescue;

- Other necessary cases are decided by the investor, the manager using the expressway.

Cases of temporary closing of expressway facilities in Vietnam

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 11 of Decree 32/2014/ND-CP amended by Decree 25/2023/ND-CP, the suspension of expressway facilities is a case of temporary disuse for operating vehicles using one-way, two-way, a section, or the whole expressway, except for vehicles on duty of the traffic police force, means of rescue, troubleshooting, and traffic assurance.

Cases of temporary closing of expressway facilities in Vietnam are specified in Clause 2, Article 11 of Decree 32/2014/ND-CP amended by Decree 25/2023/ND-CP, including:

- Suspending exploitation due to unsafe conditions for exploitation and use, such as:

+ The works are damaged due to the occurrence of work incidents, as a result of natural disasters, the damaged works cannot be exploited and used safely;

+ Fire and explosion incidents;

+ Occurrence of a particularly serious traffic accident, forcing the operation to be temporarily suspended in service of rescue and traffic safety;

+ When there is a disaster, epidemic, or request to serve the defense and security of a competent state agency.

- The Minister of Transport shall decide to suspend the operation of expressways belonging to the national highway system according to the provisions of Point a, Clause 2, Article 37 of the Law on Road Traffic.

- Presidents of provincial-level People's Committees shall decide to suspend the operation of expressways on the road systems under their management according to the provisions of Point b, Clause 2, Article 37 of the Law on Road Traffic.

- When detecting the risk of unsafety, the risk of an accident on the expressway affecting the safety of life, neighboring works, and the community, the expressway user manager shall promptly stop the operation and use of the expressway and take measures to ensure the safety of people, vehicles, and other properties; perform works to limit and prevent possible dangers to the works; protect the scene; participate in rescue; and solve traffic jams.

After deciding to suspend the operation and use of the expressway, the expressway user manager shall immediately notify the Traffic Police, the highway management agency, the Route Traffic Management and Operation Center, and the local authorities.

Work to be done in cases of temporary closing of expressway facilities in Vietnam 

According to Decree 32/2014/ND-CP, when suspending expressway operation, the following tasks must be carried out:

- Expressway user managers, operators, and maintenance units must urgently take measures to ensure traffic, adjust traffic to limit traffic jams, repair damage, overcome existing problems on highways and other routes used to regulate traffic; adjust and supplement road signaling works and other works in service of traffic assurance; participate in guiding people and vehicles participating in traffic; coordinate with Traffic Police and local authorities in organizing traffic on highways.

- Traffic police perform the task of commanding and controlling traffic.

- Local authorities shall coordinate to ensure traffic when it is necessary to regulate vehicles participating in highway traffic on roads under local management.

- Rescue work shall comply with the provisions of Article 16 of Decree 32/2014/ND-CP; the work of troubleshooting works, remedying damage to works to ensure safety in exploitation and use shall comply with the provisions of the law on construction; the work of preventing, fighting, and overcoming the consequences of fire and explosion shall comply with the provisions of the law on fire prevention and fighting.

- After completion of traffic reorganization, rescue, and incident investigation, the expressway user manager is responsible for repairing damage, overcoming existing problems in order to put the expressway into operation and use in accordance with design standards.

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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