Pressure mounts on Highway 9

QTO - Anyone who has traveled along National Highway 9 (QL9) in the South of Quang Tri province in recent months can feel the bustling atmosphere, but also the pressure, from the traffic flow going back and forth on this vital route.

This is the only route, connecting National Highway 1 from Dong Ha to Lao Bao International Border Gate, more than 83km long. The terrain is rugged with many winding, steep passes, high mountains on one side and deep ravines on the other. Even vehicles from La Lay International Border Gate wanting to go downstream must pass through Dakrong suspension bridge and then go to National Highway 9.

This route is a convergence of all types of vehicles: bicycles, motorbikes, cars, buses, dump trucks, trucks, tractors..., jostling each other on the road of the East-West economic corridor, connecting Vietnam with countries in the region such as Laos, Thailand, Myanmar...

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Man, a bus driver who has been running this route for many years, shared: “I see more and more buses running. A more vibrant economy is good, but on the other hand, it can easily damage the road, increasing the risk of traffic accidents. As a regular driver on the road, I and many others cannot help but worry.” Sharing the same concern, Mr. Pham Van Sanh, a teacher whose child studies at a school next to Highway 9 and who himself often goes to work on this road, said: “Looking at the traffic volume, I am very worried about traffic accidents. The more students go to school and adults go to work on the road, the more careful we have to be, but accidents do not depend only on ourselves.”

Heavy traffic puts pressure on National Highway 9 - Photo: PXD

The overload of National Highway 9 is not only a personal feeling but also shown through specific statistics. According to the authorities, in the first 6 months of 2025, the number of vehicles passing through Lao Bao International Border Gate increased by nearly 20%, and import and export goods increased by nearly 33% compared to the same period in 2024. This increase is a positive signal for the economy, but also brings with it obvious consequences: Roads quickly deteriorate, bridges quickly break down, and the risk of traffic accidents increases...

A fairly common sight on National Highway 9 is that every few kilometers you see road patching, maintenance, and repair, especially during the dry season. Mr. Le Vinh Thinh, a provincial inspector, formerly an inspector of the Department of Transport of Quang Tri province (old) shared: “From January 1, 2025, patrolling, controlling, ensuring traffic safety (ATGT), and handling vehicles participating in traffic will be under the authority of the traffic police (CSGT), including traffic light management”.

Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Trung, Head of the Traffic Police Department, Provincial Police, talked about the pressure from National Highway 9: “National Highway 9, with a length of more than 83km, mostly has no hard median strip, and has many curves and steep passes. This greatly affects the stable traffic operation as well as the work of ensuring traffic order and safety on the route, especially when the traffic volume has increased in recent years. Violations of load, illegal overtaking, speeding... not only damage the infrastructure, but also cause serious traffic accidents. In the immediate future, we have proposed regular maintenance and survey, installation of speed limit signs on dangerous road sections. The Traffic Police force has also made maximum efforts in patrolling, controlling and propagating to both protect the traffic infrastructure and minimize accidents”.

However, current efforts may not be enough to completely solve the problem. This requires a strategic, long-term solution to both ensure traffic safety and promote sustainable economic growth. For that reason, on August 6, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh decided to include the Cam Lo-Lao Bao expressway project in the "List of important national projects, key to the transport sector". With an investment capital of nearly 14,000 billion VND, this expressway is expected to be 56km long, with a scale of 4 lanes and a speed of 100km/h.

Regarding this project, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Tien affirmed: "The province is actively carrying out necessary work so that the expressway can be built and put into operation soon, in order to promote socio-economic efficiency and ensure national defense and security. Recently, the province has proposed to relevant ministries and branches to support state capital of VND 8,800 billion to build the Cam Lo-Lao Bao expressway, in accordance with current regulations."

The birth of the Cam Lo-Lao Bao Expressway is expected to fundamentally reduce pressure on National Highway 9, creating more opportunities for Quang Tri to take off and connect more strongly with the region and the world.

Pham Xuan Dung

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202509/ap-luc-de-nang-len-quoc-lo-9-1130894/