Following a series of reports on the failure of expansion joints on National Highway 45 – Nghi Son Expressway (Thanh Hoa), which caused multiple vehicle accidents, many readers of Dân trí have suggested that the project management unit and contractors should provide support or compensation to affected drivers.
Many readers expressed their opinions, noting that although the National Highway 45 – Nghi Son expressway has not yet started collecting tolls, the responsibility for the expansion joint failures lies with the contractors and project investors, not the drivers. Therefore, drivers should receive assistance or compensation.
A driver’s car was damaged following the expansion joint incident on the highway (Photo: Quang Đề).
“The management board or contractor must compensate due to inadequate engineering or failure to conduct regular inspections,” one reader commented.
Some raised the question of whether drivers who cause accidents and violate traffic laws, damaging sections of the highway, should face penalties or be required to pay compensation.
“If a driver accidentally damages the median barrier, guardrails, or road surface, will they be fined?” asked reader Sơn Lê.
Reader Nguyễn Xuân Quỳnh added: “If infrastructure or traffic equipment is damaged, the person responsible must compensate for the damage, possibly face additional fines, or even criminal charges. In this case, the construction company, management, or operation units should take full responsibility for property damage (vehicles), as well as compensate for health and emotional losses suffered by the drivers.”
The expansion joint on the highway was damaged (Photo: Quang Đề).
A representative from the management and operation unit of National Highway 45 – Nghi Son stated that according to regulations, even though toll collection has not begun, drivers who damage facilities on the highway while driving are still responsible for compensation.
“In cases where our unit identifies damage, the driver must compensate. If not identified, our unit will bear the repair costs,” the representative explained.
In the event of an accident causing property damage exceeding 100 million VND, the driver may face criminal charges. For damages under 100 million VND, the driver must either compensate or hire a contractor to fix the damaged structure, as these are state-owned assets.
According to a representative from Highway Patrol Team No. 4, Road Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security), even without toll collection, drivers violating road traffic safety laws on highways will still be penalized per regulations.
Authorities repairing the expansion joint after the incident (Photo: Hoàng Dương).
As reported by Dân trí, on February 6, driver Bùi Quang Đề was driving on the National Highway 45 – Nghi Son Expressway, near the Nhơm River Bridge in Trung Chính Commune, Nông Cống District (Thanh Hóa), when his vehicle hit a malfunctioning expansion joint.
The incident resulted in two blown tires and two damaged rims on his car. Three other vehicles behind him also encountered similar issues. Mr. Đề spent nearly 20 million VND on repairs and has since contacted relevant authorities, hoping for financial support for repair costs.
According to a representative of Project Management Unit 2, since the National Highway 45 – Nghi Son is still within its warranty period and has not yet begun toll collection, there is currently no mechanism for compensation.
On February 9, Minister of Transport Trần Hồng Minh issued an urgent dispatch instructing units to intensify inspections and address any existing structural issues at highway projects to ensure quality and safety during operations.
Units are urged to enhance supervision over entities responsible for managing and maintaining the highway system, promptly directing repairs and resolving any structural problems to ensure normal operating conditions for the highway system.
