Although only operating for a short time, Hai Van 2 has quickly affirmed its great role in expanding trade and development in all aspects of the economy – society – culture.

Hai Van Pass – The winding road through the majestic Bach Ma mountain. It is a branch of the Truong Son range flowing into the East Sea connecting the two ends of Thua Thien – Hue province and Da Nang city. The pass road is up to 20 km long, winding along the mountainside, winding like a silk strip across the sky, hidden in the mountains. For a long time, “The most majestic paradise” caused many unfortunate traffic accidents.

Under the range of that towering high mountain is a complete Hai Van tunnel… the longest road tunnel in Southeast Asia, through the heart of Bach Ma connecting two provinces, two South-North specific climate zones has been operated before the last Lunar New Year. Although only a short time, Hai Van 2 has quickly affirmed its great role in expanding trade and development in all aspects of the economy – society – culture.

The danger is gone

On the occasion of gratitude for Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27), Mr. Nguyen Tan Dong, Vice Chairman of Deo Ca Group led us to visit privileged families in Lang Co town (Thua Thien – Hue province). Among them, many families are subject to relocation when clearing land to use for the construction of Hai Van 2 tunnel project.

Mr. Nguyen Van Can’s house, an old revolutionary officer, is located not far from the button of Hai Van mountain. Nearly 90 years old, living at the button of the pass, he witnessed an unexpected change at the end of his life.

As a youth, he threw himself into the war, when the war is gone, Mr. Can returned to his hometown. He was honored to be awarded many noble awards by the Party and State, including the First-class Resistance Medal, and this year he just received the 55-year-old Party badge, but for him, the most exciting is to go through Hai Van mountain was in 2005 at the first time, when the Hai Van tunnel has been operated after many years of construction. “It’s a miracle that only the citizens of Lang Co have relatives in Da Nang, they had to cross the pass to visit each other,” Mr. Can said.

“When the State was preparing to dig a tunnel through Hai Van mountain (Hai Van tunnel), I thought I didn’t know when it would be finished, I just wanted to live until that time to witness the construction. The citizens of Lang Co will benefit from this project first,” Mr. Nguyen Van Can said. Not far away is the residence of Ngo Thi Lo’s mother. The mother is 88 years old, a revolutionary soldier who was imprisoned by the enemy, and this year is nearly Parties’ 60 years old. Her family is in the area of site clearance for the Hai Van 2 tunnel project. After pioneering the handover of the site and moving to a new place, now the mother Lo’s family has a spacious life in the new house at the resettlement place not far from the old place. Mother Lo was touched and thanked Deo Ca Group, the local authority of Lang Co town coming to visit.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Dong said that the families in the area of site clearance when the local authority asked about relocation, agreed to move to a new place with the hope of having another century-sized modern project in their hometown serving the requirements of socio-economic development not only for Hue – Da Nang but also for the central provinces and the whole country.

On January 11, 2021, at the southern tunnel entrance area in Lien Chieu District, Da Nang city, investor – Deo Ca Investment Joint Stock Company under Deo Ca Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and the two provinces of Thua Thien – Hue and Da Nang held the opening of Hai Van 2 tunnel.

Hai Van 2 tunnel is 6.2 km long, which is the longest road tunnel project in Southeast Asia, invested by Deo Ca Group after implementing a series of tunnels such as Co Ma, Ca, and Cu Mong pass. This is a record work, affirming the capacity of Vietnam and Vietnamese enterprises in constructing a project of international stature.

Mr. Ngo Truong Nam, General Director of Deo Ca Group said: “When proposing this project, Deo Ca was aware of its great importance and the fierce challenges it had to face. Those are technical and technological difficulties, mechanisms, and policies for capital. We consider this as a historic mission, an unprecedented challenge duty. The idea that runs through and directs the entire project implementation process of the Chairman of the Group is to construct the project, it is not only profit and revenue but also for the contribution to the development of the nation’s traffic infrastructure, affirming the capacity and stature of Vietnamese enterprises in the international competition”.
Along with the chain of tunnels constructed by Deo Ca Group, after being put into operation, the Hai Van tunnel has helped to reduce traffic accidents, shorten travel time, and bring great economic and social benefits. This is a work that proves the intelligence and bravery of Vietnamese people on a par with the world in the increasingly fierce competition.

After 15 years of operation and exploitation (from June 2005 until now), more than 20 million vehicles have passed through the tunnel. Every time there is an incident such as a car stalling in the tunnel, the TMC has to close the tunnel to solve the problem. The TMC responded to the accident very well, with rescues in minutes. Hai Van 2 is considered a “rescue” from the heart of the mountain.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Tran Chung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Road System Investors, former Director of the State Department of Construction Quality Assessment, said: “It has only been a short time since it has been operated, but it has been successful superiority of 2 tunnels. It has maximally overcome the limitations of traffic organization and operation management of Hai Van 1 tunnel such as condensation, costly operation of electrostatic precipitator system (3 electrostatic precipitator stations), dirty air intake system and fresh air supply, and the risk of traffic safety due to two lanes traveling in opposite directions in a tunnel”.

The Ministry of Transport has also assessed that the implementation of phase 2 of the project will contribute to ensuring the operation and exploitation capacity of the Hai Van tunnel, especially in the face of vehicle traffic growth of 10% – 15%/year, preventing overloading in the current Hai Van 1 tunnel, and at the same time synchronize the scale of 4 lanes on the entire National Highway 1.