More than 200 drainage ditch panels of the Ho Chi Minh City gateway tunnel were destroyed.

According to VietNamNet reporters, 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, a drainage system was damaged.

A series of woven panels were smashed. Photo: NH

Specifically, reinforced concrete covers covering drainage ditches, steel drainage ditches, reinforced concrete panels covering road slopes... within the area of this intersection were destroyed.

Observation shows that the woven panels measuring 70cm long, 50cm wide and about 7cm thick, which function to cover the drain to block trash, ensure traffic safety and aesthetics, have the concrete part smashed and the steel reinforcement inside is taken away.

Through VietNamNet's investigation, the unit that is managing and regularly maintaining the Hanoi Highway and National Highway 1 (the section from the old Tram 2 intersection to Tan Van intersection under the BOT contract signed with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee) is the Hanoi Highway Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company (CII).

The concrete of the drainage pipes was smashed to pieces, and the iron core was stolen by thieves to sell as scrap. Photo: TN

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam - Deputy Director of CII confirmed that more than 200 panels at the underpass area of Ho Chi Minh City National University intersection were vandalized by thieves.

"The subjects often choose the middle of the night or early morning to destroy the panels to get steel to sell as scrap. Late on May 16, when we were patrolling, we discovered the subjects leaving behind their motorbikes and the evidence and running away. We then reported to the Thu Duc City People's Committee and the competent authorities for support in handling the case," Mr. Nam informed.

The vehicle and evidence left behind by the thief after being discovered smashing the drainage culvert. Photo: TN

CII representative said that due to the large number of broken panels, the unit could not fix and repair them in time.

"We are currently recasting a series of panels to reinstall in damaged locations to ensure traffic safety and urban beauty," Mr. Nam added.

Recently, a series of urban traffic infrastructure projects and civil works in Ho Chi Minh City have continuously experienced equipment theft, causing public outrage.

In 2022, hundreds of clean water meters of households on the central streets of District 1 and District 3 (HCMC) were broken into and stolen. The incident not only caused economic damage and water loss but also disrupted the daily lives of households and businesses.

At the Thu Thiem 2 bridge project connecting District 1 and Thu Duc City (now Ba Son bridge), which had just been inaugurated not long ago, dozens of cast iron trash covers on the bridge surface were stolen by thieves.

Even key trillion-dollar transport infrastructure projects such as the No. 1 urban railway project (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro) have strict security guards but theft still occurs continuously.

Ho Chi Minh City police identified the thief of the trash cover of Thu Thiem 2 bridge . District 1 police, Ho Chi Minh City confirmed that they have identified the thief of the trash cover of Thu Thiem 2 bridge when this bridge was just put into operation.

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