Non-standard signs

On November 2, speaking with Giao thong Newspaper reporters, Mr. Bui Trong Tue - Head of Road Management Office II.1 (Road Management Area II - the state management agency of the expressway), affirmed: "The information that Son Hai Group accused that the signs constructed by this contractor on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway were vandalized is incorrect."

“Recently, information has been circulating online about the leadership of Son Hai Group Company Limited (one of the contractors participating in the construction of package XL01, North-South Expressway Project, Eastern section, Nghi Son - Dien Chau section) accusing a group of people using trucks with cranes, traveling along the Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway, of destroying signs committing to a 10-year warranty, by tearing off the words: “Son Hai Group guarantees a 10-year warranty”.

This incident caused damage of up to hundreds of millions of dong. At the same time, this contractor said that he had sent a complaint to Thanh Hoa Police. However, through inspection and verification, we determined that the nature of the incident was completely different," said Mr. Tue.

According to Mr. Tue, the removal of the words "Son Hai Group guarantees 10 years" was carried out by the Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Corporation (Vidifi - the unit assigned to manage and maintain regularly) under the direction of the State Acceptance Council and the Vietnam Road Administration.

Explaining the reason for having to tear off the words on the sign, Mr. Tue said that the project design documents approved by competent authorities, as well as the completion documents for the sign item, did not have such content and design.

When the State Acceptance Council inspected in mid-2024, it 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, but then the parties did not do so.

Since August 20, the road has been officially handed over for use. The II Management Board has also requested Project Management Board 6 to direct the contractor to repair and overcome the existing signs. However, by the end of October, the Board and the contractor still did not fix the problems, forcing the Management Board to request the management unit to regularly maintain and immediately repair signs that are not in accordance with the design documents, signs with advertising text that are not up to standard to ensure traffic safety.

"I don't understand why, after the maintenance unit dismantled and repaired the sign to the correct standards, the contractor posted the image with the above accusation, creating mixed public opinion," Mr. Tue asked.

Advertising on traffic signs is wrong

A few months ago, Giao thong Newspaper reporters also received feedback from people about the situation of advertisements being posted and printed everywhere on the highways, including the Nghi Son - Dien Chau route. In some places, the advertising content was printed over speed limit signs and traffic signs, causing unsightliness and affecting traffic participants on the highway.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam (in Dien Chau district): “On the highway, vehicles all move at high speed, minimum 60km/h, maximum 90km/h. Therefore, signs are often printed large and limited in writing. If there are other advertising lines on the sign, it can easily confuse and distract drivers. This is very dangerous and can cause accidents at any time.”

The leaders of Road Management Area II admitted that, through inspections on the entire route, it is true that some units have arbitrarily printed and pasted advertising messages such as: patching, tire repair, pasting the name of the rescue business, pasting warranty commitments... on traffic signs on the main route, as well as the overpasses across the highway. In addition, at both ends of Tam Diep tunnel, some businesses have even buried their own advertising signs.

"After checking, we found that these advertisements were not included in the approved design documents. These advertisements were also not licensed by the advertising authority. Therefore, when making the acceptance report, we requested Project Management Board 6 to direct the contractors to repair and fix according to the design," said the above leader.

Expressing his opinion on this issue, Mr. Phan Huy Chuong, Deputy Head of the Traffic Safety Committee of Nghe An province, informed: “All signs must be produced and installed in the correct size and with full content according to issued standards. Adding content outside of standards or advertising information to signs without the approval of competent state agencies is wrong and must be handled according to regulations.”