How to utilize expressways efficiently?

As reported by Thanh Nien newspaper, the Vietnam Expressway Department ( Ministry of Transport ) has just submitted a report to the Ministry of Transport on a comprehensive study and assessment of the possibility of increasing the operating speed (maximum permitted speed) for the phased investment 4-lane expressway with a lane width of 3.5 m from the current 80 km/hour to 90 km/hour.

The Mai Son - National Highway 45 expressway has 4 lanes, with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/hour.

Accordingly, many North-South expressways in the eastern region, such as Ha Long - Van Don - Mong Cai, Bac Giang - Lang Son, Trung Luong - My Thuan, and My Thuan - Can Tho, have recently been put into operation. In the context of limited economic resources, and to ensure investment efficiency and balance of capital, the National Assembly and the Government have approved the policy of phased investment in the construction of several routes with a 4-lane cross-section and a design speed of 80 km/h. Based on a comparison with existing national highways operating at 80 km/h and relevant regulations, the Vietnam Expressway Authority believes that increasing the maximum permitted speed from 80 km/h to 90-100 km/h for the 4-lane expressways in the phased construction phase is justified.

Addressing concerns about "highway speed"

Following information from the Vietnam Expressway Authority, reader Minh Nghia stated that he felt his previous questions about "expressway speed limits" were resolved. Minh Nghia shared: "I used to be unclear about why many 4-lane expressway projects had a maximum speed limit of only 80 km/h. Now I understand that this is just a specific phased approach, corresponding to the available resources, but it can be developed in subsequent phases, and the consideration of raising the maximum speed limit to 90-100 km/h is proof of that." Sharing this view, Mr. Truong Le noted that the newly inaugurated Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway has a maximum permitted speed of 120 km/hour, but due to incomplete interchanges, access roads, and barriers, there is a proposal to reduce the maximum permitted speed to 100 km/hour during the initial period of operation: "Depending on the actual operation, the management unit may propose raising or lowering the maximum permitted speed, which is reasonable, as long as it is close to the actual needs."

Certainly, there will be many shortcomings in the initial period of operation, and it will take some time for the expressway to be completed and operate smoothly.

mtrangg7773

A highway cannot have intersections or junctions; overpasses must be built on top of it to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Minh Anh Nguyen

Minimize traffic congestion on highways, because otherwise, it doesn't serve the purpose of shortening travel time.

Glass Nail

Based on the above analysis, commenter mtrangg7773 expressed his personal opinion: "Anyway, a highway with a maximum speed of only 90 km/h doesn't fully demonstrate the investment efficiency. Only when all highways reach 120 km/h can they be called proper highways." Agreeing, commenter Tuan An hopes that the next phases of implementation will be carried out soon so that all highways have the capacity to meet the demand for increased travel speeds.

How to behave on a 4-lane highway.

While awaiting the development of the next phase, many delegates also proposed management measures to effectively utilize the 4-lane highway, in addition to considering increasing the maximum permitted speed. Delegate Quang Nguyen stated: "In my opinion, for any 4-lane highway that lacks an emergency lane, every 5-10 km we should add an emergency stop on the right-hand side, in a U-shape, capable of holding 2-3 vehicles, so that the highway can continue operating normally in case of an incident." Commenting on solutions for "dealing with 4-lane highways," delegate Kha Luan said that in reality, highway rescue teams have plans to clear vehicles when adverse traffic situations occur. However, reality also shows that even these forces are sometimes "stuck" in traffic due to the lack of emergency lanes. Therefore, Mr. Kha Luan proposed the following solution: "In the short term, localities with 4-lane expressways passing through them can study the possibility of opening additional interchanges, overpasses, and access roads to coordinate and utilize the expressways effectively."

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/khai-thac-cao-toc-sao-cho-hop-ly-185230514224722778.htm