Hai Van Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Hai Van Tunnel, the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia
at 6.28km, lies on highway 1 between the two cities of Danang and Huế
in central Vietnam
.
has long been recognised as a major bottleneck. The concept of a tunnel to bypass the long route over the top had long been sought.
The tunnel officially opened on June 5, 2005.
The main tunnel is 11.9 meters wide. A second tunnel running alongside the main tunnel is currently used for maintenance and emergencies but it is planned to expand this at a later date as traffic increases. It is connected to the main tunnel by 15 cross-tunnels. The tunnels have lighting, fire alarms, communication, water supply and treatment, ventilation fans, and radio broadcast systems.
The tunnel subsequently has received an award for quality by the American Construction Management Association.
Motorcycles, cycles and pedestrians are not allowed in the tunnel but a new shuttle service began in November 2006. This shuttle service operates around the clock with a reduced overnight service and a daytime fare of VND12,000 per motorcycle, VND5,000 per bicycle, and VND3,000 per person.
A small waiting area has been established at each end of the tunnel where visitors can take photographs and watch a documentary about the making of the tunnel.
The tunnel reduces the distance between Da Nang
and Huế
by 20km and saves between 30 minutes and an hour on traveling times over the old Hai Van Pass route.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
at 6.28km, lies on highway 1 between the two cities of Danang and Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
in central Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
History
The Hai Van PassHai Van Pass
The Hải Vân Pass , is an approximately 2 mile long mountain pass on National Road 1A in Vietnam. It traverses a spur of the larger Annamite Range that juts into the South China Sea, on the border of Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, near Bach Ma National Park. Its name refers to the mists that...
has long been recognised as a major bottleneck. The concept of a tunnel to bypass the long route over the top had long been sought.
Planning and Design
Route planning and design work started in January 1998 by a joint venture between Nippon Koei Company Limited Japan and Louis Berger International Inc., USA with the Vietnamese Transport Engineering Design Incorporated (TEDI) providing consultation on the project.Construction
The project's major constructors were a Vietnam-Japan joint venture, Hazama-Cienco 6, and a joint venture between Korea's Dong Ah construction company and Vietnam's Song Da Construction Corporation.The tunnel officially opened on June 5, 2005.
The main tunnel is 11.9 meters wide. A second tunnel running alongside the main tunnel is currently used for maintenance and emergencies but it is planned to expand this at a later date as traffic increases. It is connected to the main tunnel by 15 cross-tunnels. The tunnels have lighting, fire alarms, communication, water supply and treatment, ventilation fans, and radio broadcast systems.
The tunnel subsequently has received an award for quality by the American Construction Management Association.
Operation
Currently the single tunnel has one lane of traffic in each direction. As no overtaking is possible this can result in minor delays if you are stuck behind slow moving traffic. A toll of VND25,000 is payable for cars/mini buses.Motorcycles, cycles and pedestrians are not allowed in the tunnel but a new shuttle service began in November 2006. This shuttle service operates around the clock with a reduced overnight service and a daytime fare of VND12,000 per motorcycle, VND5,000 per bicycle, and VND3,000 per person.
A small waiting area has been established at each end of the tunnel where visitors can take photographs and watch a documentary about the making of the tunnel.
The tunnel reduces the distance between Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
and Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
by 20km and saves between 30 minutes and an hour on traveling times over the old Hai Van Pass route.