Cam Lo – La Son stretches 98.3 km long, and 85 km of it has just two lanes spanning 12 m wide to allow a maximum speed of 60 kph.
The remainder has four lanes spreading 23 m wide for a maximum speed of 80 kph.
In the photo above is a roundabout in Hue that serves as a gateway to the expressway.
Discussions about safety on the expressway and others in Vietnam have been heated up after a recent tragic accident on the road on Sunday (pictured).
Premilitary investigation reveals that a seven-seat car collided a container truck on the same direction when trying to pass it in an area where overtaking is not allowed, before spinning from the collision, hit by a truck coming in the opposite direction and flowing off the expressway.
As a result, a woman and her two children in the car were killed, leaving the husband alive and the driver arrested.
The transition between areas of two lanes and four lanes are marked with paint and arrows, located about 150 m before the end of the four-lane sections.
However, drivers who are unfamiliar with the route often overlook these signs.
A passenger bus and cars move on a two-lane section of the two-way expressway on Monday.
A representative from the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board under the Ministry of Transport said no toll collection has been established so many drivers preferred this expressway to National Highway 1.
"Speeding and not maintaining safe distances are quite common [on the expressway]. The two-lane design may frustrate some drivers who wish to speed up, leading to reckless overtaking," said the representative.
Navigating through mountainous terrain, the expressway boasts many dangerous curves, such as a bow-shaped uphill curve in Hue, with no median strip.
A viaduct of nearly 1 km long through Hue poses a high accident risk due to its winding nature and beautiful scenery below, which can distract drivers.
In addition to the deadly accident last Sunday, the expressway has witnessed several accidents over the past year, including a head-on collision between two container trucks, resulting in one fatality and two serious injuries.
Despite a ban on overtaking on the two-lane overpass, violations still occur. Since its inauguration in 2022, the expressway still lacks surveillance cameras to monitor and penalize offending drivers.
In response to these issues, the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board is considering expanding the route to four lanes in its second phase.
The plan is expected to be proposed to the Ministry of Transport imminently.
A section running through a mountain of the expressway, posing high landslide risk when it comes to heavy rains and stormy season.
Motorcyclists illegally enter the expressway in Quang Tri Province.
A report in October 2023 by the Ministry of Public Security highlighted safety concerns on several sections of the North-South expressway system, with the Cam Lo - La Son and La Son - Tuy Loan, the latter running through Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang, being particularly noted for their insufficient safety standards due to having only two lanes and no emergency lanes.
Locals have broken a barrier to get onto the expressway.
Following the accident last week, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered the Transport Ministry to work with relevant agencies to review the safety of the expressway system across the country, especially routes with only two lanes and no emergency lane.
Chinh expressed condolences to the victims' families and demanded a thorough investigation and strict action against violators. The Ministry of Transport is tasked with coordinating with relevant agencies to review and organize traffic more effectively on the expressway and the national transport system, especially on two-lane roads without emergency lanes.
Cam Lo - La Son Expressway seen from above.
