On June 19th, in Hanoi, the American Society of Civil Engineers awarded prizes for outstanding engineering solutions for the Hai Van Pass tunnel. This project was selected from 160 infrastructure projects submitted for consideration in 2006.
The highway tunnel is located on National Route 1, between Thua Thien – Hue and Da Nang, stretching 6.3 km. During the design and construction phases, Project Management Unit 85 and the consulting joint venture employed the Austrian New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). This technology was implemented for the first time in Vietnam and proved successful. The engineering solutions addressed issues such as landslides, subsidence, and groundwater concerns. The precision of the tunnel alignment was remarkable, with only a 2.5 cm deviation when connecting from both ends.
The operation of the Hai Van Pass tunnel has provided significant benefits, ensuring traffic safety while reducing travel time by three-quarters compared to the previous route over the pass.
