Ownership dispute stalls repairs to highway between HCMC, neighbors

As of early November sections of National Highway 51 at some major intersections such as the Ben Go T-junction and Gate 11 in Bien Hoa City in Dong Nai Province are damaged.

Vehicles passing through these areas must navigate around puddles to avoid potential hazards.

Some 50 km away sections of the highway around the My Xuan - Ngai Giao Road intersection in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, home to Vung Tau beach city, and some residential areas in Phu My Town, have deteriorated significantly, with cracked pavements and frequent flooding during rains.

National Highway 51 through Ben Go Intersection in Dong Nai Province's Bien Hoa City is degraded and severely damaged on Oct. 23, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan

National Highway 51 is a critical artery linking three key southeastern areas: HCMC, Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

Due to its overload and degradation, the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Development JSC (BVEC) was chosen to execute a build-operate-transfer project to widen a 72-kilometer section of the highway at a cost of VND3.8 trillion (US$150 million).

The section opened to traffic in 2013, with toll set to be paid by users until January 2030.

But the traffic it had to carry, averaging 30,000-40,000 vehicles a day, was three times the initial estimate, and the poll was stopped earlier than planned.

In January 2023 collection was suspended following a directive from the Ministry of Transport.

BVEC accused the ministry of breaching the contract between them and announced a halt to maintenance activities citing the suspension of toll collection.

However, a significant increase in traffic, averaging 30,000-40,000 vehicles daily, led to early toll completion in January 2023. The Ministry of Transport subsequently halted toll collection, leading BVEC to accuse the ministry of breaching their 2009 contract. BVEC also announced a halt to maintenance due to the cessation of toll revenue.

Damage on National Highway 51, near Son Tien Tourist Area in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province. This section has been repaired by mid October. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan

The Department for Roads under the ministry justified the halt, citing changes in the project's financial factors such as investment costs, interest rates, revenue, and traffic volume.

The ministry has held 19 rounds of negotiations with the company and financing banks to resolve the dispute, but no agreement has been reached.

This has meant steady deterioration of the key route over the last two years in the absence of maintenance, causing frequent traffic jams and nightmares for drivers.

Authorities in Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau have repeatedly urged the ministry to complete the legal procedures for creating public ownership and ensure immediate maintenance of the highway.

On Oct. 10 some repairs were made on a section of the highway near Son Tien Tourism Area in Bien Hoa City, with potholes being patched.

But according to recent statistics, the highway has approximately 186,000 square meters of damaged pavements in need of repair and 6,900 square meters of faded lane markings.