The "bottleneck" at Ba Ngan Bridge

Traffic congestion occurs frequently on Ba Ngan Bridge. Photo: CT

Traffic congestion is frequent.

Living in Ha Nhuan village (Duy Phuoc commune), Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Canh's family witnesses daily the scene of motorbikes and cars queuing up to cross Ba Ngan bridge. Mr. Canh's wife said that during peak hours, from 6:30 to 7:30 in the morning and from 5:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon, mixed vehicles "crowd" across the bridge, which is only slightly more than 3 meters wide, causing traffic congestion that stretches from the access road on the Duy Phuoc commune side to the access road on the Cam Kim commune side. Large tourist buses try to squeeze through just enough to get across the bridge. Many traffic accidents occur, causing serious injuries to victims.

The access road to the bridge is located right on a blind curve. Photo: CT

Local residents say that initially, the Ba Ngan bridge was only intended for motorbikes, bicycles, and pedestrians, but trucks, passenger cars, and even small cars now use it. Authorities have posted signs prohibiting trucks weighing 6 tons or more, but drivers still disregard the warnings because detours are dozens of kilometers away. Conversely, law enforcement officers are not always present to monitor and enforce regulations.

Speaking with a reporter from Quang Nam Newspaper, the Chairman of Duy Phuoc Commune People's Committee, Mr. Le Hai, said that previously, people used unsafe ferries to cross the Thu Bon River to Cam Kim Commune and the center of Hoi An City. Thanks to the attention of higher authorities, in 2019, a bridge was built on National Highway 14H, with a length of over 200m and a width of 3.5m (including the bridge railings).

[ VIDEO ] - There is a lot of traffic coming from Cam Kim commune across Ba Ngan bridge:

According to Mr. Le Hai, the Ba Ngan Bridge, with its investment and seamless connection between Duy Xuyen and Hoi An and Dien Ban, has met the needs of residents in the commune in particular and Duy Xuyen in general for studying, working, and trading in Hoi An and the eastern Dien Ban area, creating favorable conditions for the development of community tourism. The initial purpose was primarily to allow motorcycles and non-motorized vehicles to cross the bridge.

However, after searching on Google, drivers found that the shortest route from Hoi An to Duy Xuyen via National Highway 14H and Ba Ngan Bridge was the one taken from Hoi An to Duy Xuyen. Tourists from Hoi An also chose to cross Ba Ngan Bridge to reach the center of Duy Xuyen district, then to the My Son Sanctuary and Dai Binh tourist village (Nong Son).

Expansion is necessary.

People cross the Ba Ngan bridge to get to the center of Hoi An and the eastern part of Dien Ban district for studying, trading, and working. Photo: CT

Cars, trucks, and bicycles frequently cross the Ba Ngan bridge, especially in the early morning and late evening. The two access roads to the bridge are curved sections with limited visibility, and the narrow roads result in frequent and prolonged traffic congestion.

According to the Duy Phuoc commune authorities, to ensure security and order in the Ba Ngan bridge area, they have installed security cameras. Thanks to these cameras, in many cases where prolonged traffic congestion led to people losing their temper, arguing, or even fighting, the commune police immediately arrived at the scene to restore order.

Motor vehicles carrying foreign tourists cross the Ba Ngan Bridge. Photo: CT

Since the beginning of the year, the area around Ba Ngan Bridge has experienced hundreds of traffic jams, causing a disruption to public order and security. Many frustrated individuals have taken photos and videos of these traffic jams and posted them on social media, accompanied by vulgar and uncivilized comments, creating a negative image of public order and traffic culture. Furthermore, the northern approach road to the bridge is low (on the Cam Kim commune side), and during the rainy season, the Thu Bon River's water level rises above alert level 1, causing flooding. In response to this situation, local authorities have deployed forces to manage traffic flow and prevent people from risking crossing the road.

[VIDEO] - Cars "squeeze" amidst motorbikes and bicycles:

In order to ensure traffic safety for residents and tourists, reduce accident risks, maintain security and order, and contribute to building a model new rural commune, Duy Phuoc commune has previously requested the Provincial Department of Transport and the Duy Xuyen District People's Committee to direct relevant agencies to implement appropriate solutions. These include installing signs regulating weight limits and prohibiting trucks during peak hours; and installing convex mirrors at the bends of the road leading to Ba Ngan Bridge.

In particular, the people are hoping that the competent authorities will pay attention to and allocate resources to invest in the construction and expansion of this bridge, which is in real need.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nut-that-co-chai-cau-ba-ngan-3143803.html