Regarding the words "Son Hai road has a 10-year warranty" on the signs of the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway, Mr. Le Hong Diep, Head of the Traffic Organization Management Department, Vietnam Road Administration, said that Article 45 of the Road Traffic Law stipulates that road signs belong to road signaling works.

In addition, the Road Traffic Law also stipulates: "It is not allowed to attach to road signs any content unrelated to the meaning and purpose of the road signs."

Therefore, the Son Hai contractor's installation of the words "10-year warranty on Son Hai road" on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway sign is not in accordance with the law.

In the national technical regulation QCVN 41:2019 on road signs, there are no regulations on construction warranty period or commitment on construction warranty period on signs.

According to Mr. Diep, the Construction Law and other construction law regulations also do not have regulations on the requirement to attach warranty commitment signs on construction works.

The Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway project is implemented in the form of public investment. Decree No. 44/2024 regulating the management, use and exploitation of road infrastructure assets stipulates: For construction projects using state capital, the completed construction works are formed from state capital. After completing the construction investment project, a property dossier must be prepared and handed over to a state agency for property management.

"Contractor Son Hai's statement that the signs on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau highway are the company's property is incorrect," Mr. Diep affirmed.

Road Management Area 2 said that the removal of the signboard at the construction package by Son Hai Group Company Limited at Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway to erase the words "Entering Son Hai Road, 10-year warranty" was carried out under the direction of the State Inspection Council for Construction Acceptance and the Vietnam Road Administration.

In the project design documents approved by competent authorities, the completion documents for the sign category have designs and contents about street names, maximum and minimum speeds, and do not have contractor warranty information.

In mid-2024, the State Inspection Council for Construction Acceptance inspected the project and requested Project Management Board 6 (representing the investor) to direct the construction contractor to repair and fix the problem in accordance with the design documents.

However, the parties did not comply, so Road Management Area 2 requested the management unit to regularly maintain and immediately repair signs that did not comply with the design documents and had advertising text that did not meet standards.

According to a traffic expert, signs on national highways and expressways have standards with the function of ensuring traffic safety, avoiding distraction or confusion. Adding irrelevant content to road signs in small letters below makes it difficult for drivers to read, causing them to lose focus while driving.

The Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway project is a public investment project funded by the state budget. After the construction is completed, the investor accepts the payment, and the contractor hands over the project to the state. Therefore, it cannot be said that the signs or other items on the road are the contractor's property.