Impact of Typhoon Yagi on Northern Vietnam’s Road Infrastructure

The recent Typhoon Yagi has caused significant damage in northern Vietnam, affecting over 4,000 road sites. This includes the failure of two bridge spans and severe damage to road signs, leading to repair costs estimated at 2,000 billion VND.

Since the typhoon’s landing, the Vietnam Road Administration has been actively working to evaluate and manage the damage.

As of September 16, a spokesperson for the Vietnam Road Administration reported that 4,177 road locations had been impacted by the typhoon by September 14.

Of these, 3,924 locations experienced landslides, subsidence, and damage to bridges and culverts, while another 253 faced flooding issues.

Prominent among the damages was the collapse of two spans of the Phong Chau bridge located in Phu Tho province, alongside the closure of four other bridges due to unsafe conditions, further complicating transportation in the area.

The storm has led to 820 traffic congestion points primarily caused by landslides and flooding. However, the road sector took proactive measures and managed to repair 555 locations by the evening of September 14. Still, 12 key locations remained blocked due to large landslides and challenging terrain, preventing the full restoration of traffic.

Lao Cai province was heavily impacted, with 58 national highway locations blocked by landslides. Thanks to quick action by road management teams, most of these had been cleared, leaving only three locations obstructed due to difficult geological conditions and substantial groundwater presence.

Other provinces such as Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, and Cao Bang are also experiencing traffic jams due to the complex terrain, with clearance expected to be completed by September 30.

Furthermore, deep flooding at seven locations, including three in Ha Nam province, has severely impeded the restoration of standard traffic flows, with no specific deadline for resolving these issues.

The anticipated repair and rehabilitation of the affected road infrastructure is estimated to require around 2,000 billion VND, which includes over 500 billion VND dedicated to immediate traffic restoration measures like debris clearance and temporary construction of roads and bridges.

For long-term safety and technical compliance, around 1,500 billion VND will be necessary for the reconstruction and repair of national highways.

In the immediate aftermath, the Road Administration has supplied steel mesh to various provinces to support quick repair efforts and maintain traffic flow.

A stock of 206,000 mesh units is currently available, with plans to transport an additional 40,000 units from the Central region to assist the northern provinces.

As northern Vietnam recovers from Typhoon Yagi, the focus remains on rebuilding and improving road infrastructure to lessen the impact of future disasters, ensuring the safety and movement of residents in the region.