Hai Van Tunnel | Vietnam

The National Highway No. 1 (NH1) of Vietnam is the primary north–south artery of the country. The road links the northern city of Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City, which is located in the southern part of Vietnam.

Challenge
A section of NH1 carried vehicles over Hai Van Pass, a mountain range situated in the center of the country. The road here consisted of a hairpin turn and narrow lanes. Rapid economic development brought increased traffic and enormous bottlenecks.

Solution
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport selected a joint-venture team of Nippon Koei Co. and Louis Berger, in association with Transport Engineering Design Inc., to design a tunnel through the Hai Van Pass. Louis Berger used a special survey to find the appropriate alignment of the tunnel. The team created the design for the 6.2-kilometer main tunnel, ventilation shaft and evacuation tunnel.

Louis Berger also provided:

• On-site construction supervision for four of the seven contract packages, including the south contract for the main tunnel, the evacuation tunnel, and the mechanical and electrical contracts.
• A design that could incorporate future enlargements to the tunnel road.

The tunnel was completed on schedule and under budget. A trip that formerly took 45 to 90 minutes currently takes approximately 10 because of the new tunnel.