Ground-breaking ceremonies were held on August 27 on the $251m Hai Van road tunnel in central Vietnam.
The country’s Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai, signalled the start of work by detonating the first charges on the drill and blast project.
The dual two-lane tunnel is being built in two phases. A JV between Japan’s Hazama Construction and Civil Engineering Construction Corp No. 6 (Cienco 6) is building the northern section. A consortium formed by South Korea’s Dong Ah Construction and Vietnam’s Song Da Construction Corporation is building the southern section.
The project, designed by Nippon Koei of Japan and US firm Louis Berger, consists of a 6.3km long main tunnel that is 7.5m high and 11.3m wide and a parallel 3.8m high and 4.7m wide emergency tunnel. The scheme also includes 15 connecting tunnels, 11 for pedestrians and four for vehicles that are 22.3m long, and a 1.8km long and 8.2m wide ventilation tunnel.
When complete in 2003, the link will improve traffic flow along National Highway 1, ending a tortuous and dangerous journey through the 20.3km long Hai Van pass between Hue and Da Nang.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremonies, premier Phan said: "The Hai Van tunnel project is significant to the national transport network, particularly the central coastal provinces including Da Nang City and Thua Thien-Hue province."
The road link will lead to greater economic development in the central provinces, making transport and communications easier with neighbouring countries of Laos and Thailand.
