There are no rest stops on the nearly 200 km stretch, so drivers on the highway through Dong Nai and Binh Thuan have to use the restroom right on the side of the road, posing a potential safety risk.
On February 16, Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, 58 years old, owner of the free toilet in Hamlet 2, Ham Liem Commune, Ham Thuan Bac District (Binh Thuan), dismantled the stairs over the fence of Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway leading to his land of more than 5,000 m2. After the project started in May 2023, seeing many people driving cars having to urinate on the side of the road, he expanded his family's toilet area next to the highway, installed a ladder for guests to enter and use for free.
"Because it violated regulations and caused safety concerns, the local government requested that the stairs be moved inside," said Mr. Duc, adding that after the stairs were removed, many people still stopped their vehicles to ask to use the restroom because the hundreds of kilometers long highway did not have any rest stops.
Mr. Le Quang Khoi, a truck driver on the Ho Chi Minh City – Khanh Hoa route, said that the lack of stops on the long route from Dau Giay to Vinh Hao is very inconvenient for drivers. Because driving from Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Thuan, drivers are tired and need a place to eat, use the restroom, and rest to regain strength to continue.
The nearly 200 km long highway from Dau Giay to Vinh Hao has no stops. Graphics: Khanh Hoang
Inaugurated in mid-2023, the two expressways Dau Giay - Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet - Vinh Hao with a total length of nearly 200 km will help vehicles travel conveniently, shortening the time from Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai to Binh Thuan. However, after nearly 10 months of operation, the above route has no rest stops, causing difficulties for drivers and passengers.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ham Thuan Bac district, said that after stopping the operation of the "illegal" toilet in the area, the locality proposed an immediate solution for the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway Project Management Board to install a signboard in front of the Ma Lam intersection (about 10 km from the toilet that has just stopped operating). This will help drivers who need to turn to Highway 28 to rest, eat, use the toilet or refuel.
"Near the Ma Lam intersection on Highway 28, there are gas stations, restaurants, and a large parking lot, ensuring safety for vehicles to stop and park. After resting, the driver returns to the access road, enters the highway, and continues the journey," said Mr. Hien.
A driver pulled over to the emergency stop strip on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway, through Ham Thuan Bac district, to clean up at noon on February 16. Photo: Tu Huynh
However, the long-term solution is still to build rest stops on the highway. Previously, the Ministry of Transport planned to have three rest stops on the route, all located in Binh Thuan province (Ham Tan, Ham Thuan Bac, Tuy Phong). Each station is 5 hectares wide, with full services of gasoline, food, rest, shopping, entertainment, arranged on both sides of the road to serve vehicles traveling in both directions north and south.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, Director of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway Project Management Board, said that so far, the Vietnam Expressway Administration has preliminarily selected qualified investors to win the bid to construct the rest stops on this section, expected to start construction in the second quarter of this year. "If the land is handed over by the locality soon, the stations will be deployed on schedule," said Mr. Huy.
Cars stop at the emergency strip for people to get off to use the restroom on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway through Ham Thuan Bac district, February 16. Video: Tu Huynh
According to the Highway Design Standards, on average every 50-60 km there should be a rest stop providing basic services such as gasoline, oil, minor repairs and stopping, with motels, toilets and restaurants.
In addition to the route from Dau Giay to Vinh Hao, there are also some expressway sections that have been opened or are about to be opened, but do not have rest stops. A representative of the Ministry of Transport said that the reason is that the previous legal regulations on investment and business of rest stops were not complete, so the investment in stations in the form of socialization encountered many difficulties, and it was not possible to operate them synchronously with some expressway sections.
Tu Huynh
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