Residents at the intersection where the Hưng Yên Provincial People's Committee have approved the removal of the central divider and the installation of traffic lights in Tân Thuận Commune, Hưng Yên Province. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Công Hải

HƯNG YÊN — The Hưng Yên Provincial People’s Committee has approved the removal of the central divider and the installation of traffic lights at the Km1+240 intersection of the southern ring road project in Thái Bình City.

In a recent directive of Document No 824/UBND-KT1, the provincial People’s Committee agreed to adjust traffic organisation at the intersection, located between S1 Bridge and the extended Chu Văn An Road in Tân Thuận Commune, Hưng Yên Province.

The committee tasked the Project Management Board No 2, the project’s investor, with urgently instructing design consultants to study and propose suitable intersection designs, add traffic safety systems and ensure compliance with technical standards and regulations.

The investor is also required to expedite the appraisal, approval and construction process so that the work is completed on schedule and inaugurated on August 19, 2025.

Local authorities in Tân Thuận Commune have been directed to raise awareness among residents and students about traffic safety, particularly at the new junction. They are urged to strictly follow traffic light signals and road safety regulations to protect both people and vehicles.

On July 30, while the Project Management Board No 2 and contractors were installing a central divider near Phú Lễ Thượng Hamlet in Tân Thuận Commune, some residents obstructed the work. Despite direct explanations from the project management team, residents disagreed, delaying the project’s progress.

In response, on August 5, Tân Thuận Commune’s People’s Committee held a dialogue with villagers. At the meeting, residents requested that a signalised crossing be added where the commune’s main road intersects with the southern ring road.

According to Trịnh Văn Xanh, head of Phú Lễ Thượng Hamlet, the local road is a lifeline that has served generations as the only route through the hamlet. The area is home to a primary school, a secondary school and a high school, with about 700 students commuting daily. Many workers also travel this route to reach industrial zones.

Villagers emphasised that they strongly supported the province’s major infrastructure project, willingly giving up farmland, houses and ponds to make way for the road. However, the new route effectively split their hamlet in two.

To cross the road now, residents must make long detours, about 1.2 km in one direction and nearly 800 metres in the other.

Nguyễn Văn Nuôi, Deputy Director of Project Management Board No 2, said the project is nearing completion, and the contractor must follow the directives and approved designs.

“We have noted the concerns and aspirations of residents. However, this matter exceeds our authority. We will report it to the provincial authority for a resolution,” he said.

The southern ring road project in the former Thái Bình City, stretching from S1 Bridge to the extended Chu Văn An Road, is set to be inaugurated on August 19. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Công Hải

The southern ring road project runs from S1 Bridge to the extended Chu Văn An Road, with a total length of 8.4 km, a design speed of 80kph, and a six-lane carriageway 20.5 metres wide, including a central divider.

The route starts at National Highway 10 in Tự Tân Commune (former Vũ Thư District) and ends at the intersection with Chu Văn An Road in Vũ Chính Commune (former Thái Bình City).

The project has a total investment of more than VNĐ1 trillion (over US$40 million). Construction began in May 2022, and the province plans to inaugurate it on August 19, 2025. — VNS