Hanoi Highway - the main artery of the eastern gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, has been damaged by thieves who have broken the reinforced concrete covers covering drainage culverts to sell as scrap metal.
The most serious is at the underpass at the Ho Chi Minh City National University intersection, part of the Hanoi Highway expansion project, through Tan Phu ward, Thu Duc city.
The woven panels measuring 70x50cm and about 7cm thick - which functioned to cover the drain to block trash - were now smashed and broken.
The broken concrete is under the culvert, the steel reinforcement inside is stolen. According to statistics from Hanoi Highway Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company (the unit that regularly manages and maintains Hanoi Highway and National Highway 1 (from the old Tram 2 intersection to Tan Van intersection under the BOT contract signed with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee), about 300 panels were destroyed.
Two sewer panels were smashed to pieces.
The broken panels create dangerous gaps, affecting traffic safety and urban beauty.
Because the woven panels are broken, garbage can easily fall into the sewer. If left for a long time, the large amount of garbage will clog the drainage, leading to flooding in the underpass when heavy rain occurs.
According to Hanoi Highway Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, each concrete slab costs about 220,000 - 500,000 VND depending on size.
Due to the large number of damaged panels, the unit has not been able to fix them in time. Currently, the maintenance and management unit is recasting a series of panels to reinstall at the damaged locations to ensure traffic safety and urban aesthetics.
More than 15km long, Hanoi Highway is one of the most beautiful roads in Ho Chi Minh City and is a vital traffic axis at the eastern gateway of the city, connecting through Binh Duong and Dong Nai.
More than 200 drainage ditch panels at the Ho Chi Minh City gateway underpass were vandalized by thieves, causing traffic safety and urban beauty problems.